The Devil's Throne
by RevalisPyross
Summary: Lucifer's dead. Agent Natsuki Kuga must ensure that his heir The Amethyst Viper, Shizuru Fujino, participates in the battle for the throne of Hell. However, all is not what it seems and Natsuki has much to lose. Her identity. Her life. And her heart. -Hiatus-
1. Death of the Devil

**The Devil's Throne**

**The Death of the Devil**

Author's Note: This is an AU so characters may be a little OoC, especially Mikoto, but that's because she's older and everyone matures. And think of Harada as Hallard, I just wanted to keep the Hime names. Please review and don't be mean about my baby! Please?

**Disclaimer: If I owned the Mai Hime series, Shizuru and Natsuki would be a confirmed couple and we would have seen what happened to the Himes after they defeated the Obsidian Lord. But I don't, Sunrise does.**

_The rain pelted down against the tarmac, as dark clouds ominously threatened to strike the Earth with fearsome thunderbolts. The sea churned and crashed against the battered face of the cliff, its salty spray carried off by the wind like an eagle that had caught its prey._

_A car skidded around the corner, its driver increasing the acceleration regardless of the treacherous conditions that could send them hurtling over the cliff. In Saeko's opinion, to die in the freezing waters would be better than the alternative that faced them if they didn't escape._

"_I won't let them take you Natsuki," she declared to her daughter who was huddled in the back seat, clutching her dog Duran in fear._

"_But where are going? Mommy, I don't understand," the younger version of Saeko asked, her voice trembling. Saeko opened her mouth to reply when something crashed into the side of the car. Natsuki screamed as Saeko gritted her teeth and tried to keep the car from going over the cliff._

_A loud thump came from the bonnet as a creature landed on it. It had a human figure, but large feathered wings sprouted from its back and coarse hair covered its body. Glowing yellow eyes peered through the window and stared right at Natsuki, its bear-like face twisting into a sneer as it sensed the innocence that resided within the child._

_Natsuki stopped screaming and froze, paralyzed by the demon's gaze. She didn't react when it smashed through the window. Nor did she do or feel anything as she watched the demon tear her mother's throat out with its powerful jaws. The last three seconds of Saeko's life was spent by vain attempts to draw breath and thoughts of her daughter._

_Then it was gone. Only the blood and her mother's still warm corpse remained. Tears rolled down her face and dripped down onto Duran's fur, who was wriggling frantically as he tried to get out of the girl's death like grip. Sobs escaped her throat as they burst through the barrier and down towards the dark waters below._

"Mother!" Natsuki yelled as she shot up in bed, hand stretched out towards the ceiling as if she could reach into the past and save her mother from the monster that murdered her. Again, she was tangled up in the sheets, drenched in sweat so her night clothes stuck uncomfortably to her skin.

She glanced at the clock to her right. 4:27 am. Why did she always wake up everyday from the same nightmare at the exact same time?

Natsuki sighed as she disentangled herself from the sheets and stumbled towards the window, subconsciously rubbing the scar that ran from her left collarbone to underneath her right arm. It was a physical reminder of that 'accident' sixteen years ago. That night had taken her mother and her dog away from her, not to mention a year of her life as the crash had left her in a coma.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and tugged back the curtain so she could look out at the stars outside. The window was open and she could hear the gentle roar of the sea not too far away, her anxiety melting away by the calming sound.

Natsuki smirked at the irony. The element that she most associated to that night, the one had she lost everything important to her, somehow had such a therapeutic effect on her and often found herself seeking the sea for comfort. But she supposed that her reason for this was because it was the resting place of her mother.

Natsuki's house was just outside the city of Fuuka and was surrounded by a copse of trees, which offered protection from all types of weather and prying eyes whilst allowing one to feel completely at home with nature.

Her eyes flickered over the scenery in front of her, not really being able to see much, before her she looked up to the inky blue sky. She tried to pick out several constellations that she knew that she would be able to see from her window, but as always her gaze was drawn to the red orb that hovered next to the moon.

A surge of hate filled her stomach. She was staring at the link between the three planes of existence: the Universe, Heaven and Hell. Not everyone can see the gateway like she could, since only those who had seen an angel or demon's true form could do so. And that wasn't the only thing that encounters with celestial beings caused.

Depending on the intensity of the initial encounter or the amount of regular exposure with supernatural creatures, humans could tap into the magical energies and heighten certain abilities such as speed, strength, or any of the five senses, depending on the person. This was why Natsuki being those other worlds so much; all she wanted was to be normal, but with the job she's got and the constant infiltrations to Earth meant that it was impossible.

She sighed and flicked her blue hair back over her shoulder, deciding that such thoughts were too heavy at such an early hour of the morning, when the orb began to flash. Natsuki leaned forward slightly, allowing her breath to steam up the glass as her heart began to beat faster.

The flashing quickened as the sky turned a dark metallic green, causing Natsuki's stomach to twist in horror at the phenomenon without her really knowing why. Something very strange and very important was happening.

Without warning the gate sent out three beams; one black, one gold and one purple, each directed at different and seemingly random points. The beams severed from the orb and descended down towards the Earth. Once all the beams had vanished the sky returned to its normal colour and the flashing ceased.

Natsuki stood there for a few minutes, heart racing and mind whirling with possibilities, waiting to see if anything else would happen. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she scrambled to the bedside table where her telephone lay. Punching in a number that she knew by heart, she fidgeted impatiently as she waited for her call to be answered.

"Hello?" a female voice rasped on the other end of the phone before clearing their throat. "Agent Midori Sugiura here, head of the Supernatural Emergency Department, how can I help you?"

"It's me, Kuga. Did you just see-."

"Damn it, Natsuki! Just because you can't sleep doesn't mean I can't! I'll see you later at a more appropriate time when I'm actually awake," Midori moaned as Natsuki clenched her teeth in frustration. Midori was a good leader, but sometimes she didn't know when to shut up.

"Wait! This is important! The gateway just started flashing and sent God knows what to Earth!" Natsuki's declaration was met by stunned silence. Natsuki ran a hand through her hair as she waited for some response.

"You'd better start from the beginning," was Midori's uncharacteristically hushed response. Natsuki quickly ran through as much details as possible, trying not to miss anything out. When she finished, there was another moment of silence.

"Come to my office in about an hour, things are about to get messy." When Natsuki gave a questioning grunt, Midori sighed. "I'll explain everything when you get here."

Then the line went dead. Natsuki slowly replaced the phone on the hook and sat down on the bed. Midori's reaction to what she had to say was rather worrying, since her boss's attitude rarely strayed from her upbeat-bordering-on-cheesy yet determined demeanour. To hear her so sullen caused Natsuki to feel uneasy. She had to hurry.

A speedy shower and giant mug full of coffee later, Natsuki was tearing her way towards the centre of Fuuka on her Ducati. She pulled off of the main road just before she reached the shopping district and into an alley that was wide enough for a car pass through. She stopped in front of a large garage door and tugged back the leather sleeve of her jacket to reveal a silver watch. 5.44 am. If Midori called in the other agents in their department they were going to be pissed.

Natsuki pulled off her helmet and reached into her pocket for her cell phone, reminding herself to get a slightly baggier jacket as she struggled to get the device free from the tight material. After hitting speed dial she raised the phone to her ear.

"Shinso system. Please state request," a mechanical female voice droned. The Shinso system controlled all of the electronic security measures and was the most expensive and hi-tech piece of equipment the department owned.

"It's Natsuki Kuga; I want entry to the Supernatural Emergency Department's garage."

"Shinso system processing request. Shinso system activated." The garage door opened and Natsuki quickly drove though. The lights flickered on and as soon as she passed through the motion sensors the door closed behind her. The garage itself was a single floored building that mirrored a car park of a shopping complex and could comfortably fit seventy cars.

Parking her Ducati in between a wall and what she recognised to be Midori's bright red 4x4, she quickly jumped off the bike and strode towards the door that led to the main building. After jogging down the stairwell, Natsuki passed through the corridors towards Midori's office, occasionally nodding at the odd bleary-eyed agent who was either on their way home or about to start another long day of work.

"Hey, Kuga!" A voice called from behind her. Natsuki turned around and smiled. Chie jogged towards her as Akira followed her with a more casual pace, both wearing tired expressions since neither was used to being awakened before eight am.

"Do you know what all this is about?" inquired Chie, who had been the one to call out to her earlier. Despite how early it was and how tired she looked, Chie looked great, as always.

Her dark hair fell gracefully behind her ears and just made it over the collar of the unbuttoned white shirt, the black vest top underneath clinging to every curve of her toned body, copying the dark grey jeans that wrapped themselves around her legs before flaring out to make room for the black ankle boots with only a small heel.

Natsuki explained once again what she had seen earlier that morning and Midori's reaction to it. Akira frowned whilst Chie's brown eyes widened in shock behind glasses that only seemed to add to her sexual appeal.

"Are you trying to tell me that Midori actually seemed _worried _about something other than missing the bar's opening hours?" The brunette asked in disbelief. "Geez, that explains why I only got two hours sleep this morning." No one bothered to ask why Chie had got to sleep so late. The woman was a player that could put her look-alike Shane McCutcheon from the L Word to shame.

"Well that means that something serious is happening," Akira countered with her deep yet feminine voice as she pushed a dark-green strand of hair behind her ear to tumble down her back until it reached the bottom of her shoulder blades. The agent was even shorter than Natsuki and with her slender frame could easily be passed for a teenage boy, but Natsuki knew from being her sparring partner that Akira was not one to be taken lightly in a fight.

The black shorts that she usually liked to wear were accompanied by a dark blue top with Kermit the frog on the front and black converse that almost reached her knees. At her hip was a sheathed double-bladed kunai and ten shurikens were attached to her belt.

"Then we'd better hurry up and see what the boss has to say," Natsuki said grimly, turning around and walking off, knowing that her fellow agents were only a couple steps behind. They soon arrived at their destination to find Midori sitting at her desk, papers scattered in front of her, her head resting on her hands as her face wore a pensive expression as her olive green eyes pointed unfocused towards a drinks cabinet. Chie cleared her throat.

"You wanted to see us, boss?" Midori jolted out of her dream world and quickly began arrange the papers in front of her into a neat, organised pile.

"Take a seat everyone, you're going to need it," the red haired woman declared. When she looked at the agents before her she frowned. "Where's Minagi-san?"

Natsuki and Chie, who had already shared a wary glance before sitting down, looked at each other again with more alarm. Midori _never_ called anyone by their last name, unless it was major business. The last time she had, it was because she was arresting an agent who was covering his own murders as demon attacks.

As if to answer her question, a tall black haired woman burst into the room. Natsuki had known Mikoto Minagi since high school through her friend Mai Tokiha, as the two had been room mates and Mai had unofficially adopted the girl that was two years younger than her. When she had first met Mikoto, the girl was even five foot, but now she was five inches taller than the blue haired woman.

Mikoto had also got rid of the braids that used to hang either side of her head and allowed her hair to grow to the base of her neck. She still used gel to give her a crown of spikes but allowed her fringe to fall across her forehead, causing her amber eyes to apparently glow due to the contrast.

Mikoto held on to the strap on her shoulder that held a cylinder case on her back as she bowed in apology. She wore a long sleeved red top that didn't fail to show off its owner's athletic upper body and ripped black jeans that brought attention to her amazingly white Nikes.

"Sorry I'm late, did I miss anything important?" The woman apologized before resting the case she carried against the wall and slipping into one of the remaining chairs. Midori shook her head and leaned back into her chair, obviously preparing herself before she began to repeat what Natsuki had told her.

The usually youthful face of the thirty-one year old woman was clearly showing her age. The dark bags underneath her eyes and the crumpled appearance of the woman's suit showed that she had stayed in the office all night, most likely asleep on paper work before Natsuki's call gave her a rude awakening.

Chie and Akira just nodded since Natsuki had already told them this, as Mikoto simply sat there, her expression showing that she just wanted to ask the questions that were almost bursting from inside of her. Natsuki fiddled absent-mindedly with her hair, wishing that they could get to the parts that she didn't know about. Midori finished and paused, her eyes drifting over them.

"So what does it all mean?" Mikoto finally asked. All eyes swivelled to Midori, everyone eager to know.

"It means," Midori said in a slow, sombre voice. "That Lucifer, the king of Hell, is dead."


	2. Resistance from a Competitor

The Devil's Throne

**Resistance from a Competitor**

Author's Note: Thank you for all the great reviews! It made me laugh at how many of you used the word 'interesting' and I hope you all like this as much as the first chapter. I've got to say, not much action in this and a lot of yapping (there are five of characters in this scene) but it's an important chapter as it sets up the rest of the story. For me, writing this has been strangely addictive.

**Disclaimer: I write fan fiction. What do you think?**

Silence flooded the room. Mikoto had her jaw dropped and was doing a brilliant expression of a fish. Chie looked like she was waiting for Midori to say that she was joking and to start laughing. Akira simply raised her eyebrows. And Natsuki, well…

"What the fuck does that mean?!" she yelled as she sat upright in her seat, face pulled into a scowl. Midori narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.

"Please refrain yourself from using from using that language, Kuga-san, or else I won't tell you," the older woman scolded. Natsuki glared in defiance for a few seconds before slumping back into her chair. Chie, Akira and Mikoto felt confused as they watched the interaction between their colleagues. Natsuki hardly ever lost her cool composure and Midori had a total personality change.

"Now for those who didn't get it the first time," Midori sent a pointed look at Natsuki. "Satan is dead. Those beams of light Kuga-san saw earlier came directly from hell. It was a message to his heirs that the time has come to fight for the throne."

"Heirs? Wouldn't the oldest be next in line to be king?" Mikoto questioned. Natsuki chuckled darkly.

"Do you really think that a bunch of demons would just sit back and relax whilst their brother got to rule an entire plane of existence?"

"Actually, the oldest isn't automatically the first in line for the throne. The strongest is." Midori corrected them, before tilting her head as she scratched her neck. "And the next in line should be a woman, if all goes well."

"A woman?" Chie repeated, causing Mikoto to snigger.

"I'd never have thought that either of you would be sexist."

"What do you mean 'if it all goes well'," Akira asked, ignoring the evil glares that Natsuki and Chie were sending Mikoto, who was grinning tauntingly at them.

"There are three heirs; the Amethyst Viper, the Obsidian Lord and the Topaz Roar. If the Obsidian Lord takes the throne, he will use the Demonic Army to take over Earth, then onwards to Heaven. As you all know, the three planes of existence have had a fragile peace treaty for the past one hundred years. If Obsidian wins then we'll be plunged back into war and thousands, if not millions, of lives will be lost."

They all nodded. The main goal of the Supernatural Emergencies Department, which was abbreviated by everyone except Midori as S.E.D., was to protect the masses against any grand-scale supernatural attacks and to make sure that the treaty isn't broken. Any other supernatural crimes were handled by the Supernatural Crime Investigation Department, which was also known as S.C.I.D.

"What about the other two?"

"The Topaz Roar isn't as strong as the other two and I've heard that she irritates the other demons. Apparently she has a very pushy personality and an extremely loud voice, which is where her title comes from, I suppose. Under her command it wouldn't be long until a revolt occurs, so she's a wild card to support, even if she was strong enough to beat the other two. The best choice has to be the Amethyst Viper. She at least matches the Obsidian Lord in strength; she may even surpass him, and is popular amongst the more peaceful demons. And more importantly, she has no known plans for total domination," Midori explained, eyes flicking to Natsuki every few seconds to make sure she wasn't going to interrupt.

But Natsuki stayed quiet, listening carefully as Midori described each of the heirs and then mentally running through each of them. She didn't like the situation one bit. The Obsidian Lord sounded plain dangerous. The Topaz Roar sounded like she didn't have a chance, but might still make things tricky. The Amethyst Viper sounded too good to be true, so Natsuki was automatically suspicious.

"Why does Hell need a ruler anyway?" she pondered out loud, making her fellow agents swivel round to regard her. Midori shook her head.

"Because a whole plane of demons running around on a free rein means trouble. They need someone that they respect or fear to control them."

"But what has it got to do with us?" Chie asked as the phone on Midori's desk began to ring. Midori quickly snatched up the device and held it up to her ear. The agents remained quiet as she began to speak.

"Midori Sugiura, Head of-," she paused, cocking her head as she listened to the speaker on the other end of the phone. "Yamada, what's happened?" Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Mikoto shifted uneasily from where she sat beside Natsuki.

"Shit! How on Earth did she come to that decision? Alright, I'm sending my best to talk to her. Would nine o'clock be okay? Right, if the situation changes, call me straight away." Midori placed the phone back in its holder and slammed her fist down onto the table. "Damn it! If she doesn't change her mind we're all doomed!"

"What's happened?" Mikoto's concern clearly showed in her voice. This had to be one of the strangest mornings that she had ever experienced, along with almost being eaten by a giant fish demon and that time when Mai overcooked the ramen so much it turned to sludge.

"The Amethyst Viper has decided that she is going to forfeit her right to the throne. She's saying she'd rather stay on Earth."

"She means she'd rather sit back and watch the slaughter," Natsuki growled, feeling that the latest turn of events proved that her suspicions were right. Midori raised a slender eyebrow before letting out a mirthless laugh.

"Of course, none of you have ever gone to Hell, have you? Well, let me tell you, it's absolutely horrible there. That's why all the demons are coming to Earth to escape it!"

"Eh? Are you trying to tell us that you've gone through the gateway?" Chie gasped, her eyes lit up with wonder. Chie was one of those people who had never heard the expression curiosity killed the cat. Midori simply nodded, although her face showed that she was more than ready to tell them all about her grand adventure.

"Anyway, back to business. Harada-san, Okuzaki-san, I want you to go and persuade the Amethyst Viper not to give up the throne."

"WHAT?" Chie, Natsuki and Mikoto shouted whilst Akira made no movement. Inside, the agent's thoughts was echoing her colleagues' response, but years of ninja training taught her discipline and obedience, so made no sign of objection.

"How come you're not letting us all go? What if that snake tries something and we've only got two agents there?" Natsuki yelled, leaning on the desk so she was shouting right in Midori's face.

Midori's jaw tightened and she forcefully stood up, the chair she was sitting on flew back on its wheels and crashed into the back wall. The taller woman looked down at the agent, green eyes vivid with the fury that was displayed in them. She refused to let Natsuki, with all her pride and prejudiced ways, to get the better of her.

"Harada-san and Okuzaki-san are two of the best agents in the country. They will be fine."

"But Chie is better at persuasion than fighting and Akira is more of a stealth fighter, which isn't much use in an ambush. Me and Mikoto are the heavy hitters, let us go with them!" Natsuki countered.

Midori simply stared at her, struggling to come with something that would successfully put an end to the argument. She knew that Natsuki was right. She gave up when Chie stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"I think we'd all prefer it if Minagi-san and Kuga-san accompanied us."

"Fine," Midori huffed in defeat. She was going to need a very large, very strong drink. "Go and get ready. You have two hours."

Natsuki pulled on her jacket and checked her reflection in the mirror. Her hair hung perfectly straight down to her waist, the light giving her blue hair silvery tones. Emerald eyes that always held a sense of defiance were lined with ebony mascara and eye liner, making the golden flecks in her iris to seemingly ignite.

She had chosen to wear a sleeveless white shirt with the top buttons undone and after some deliberation, decided to slip on the black leather trousers rather than the slacks of the same colour. Over the trousers was a pair of knee-high black leather boots that had great grip on the soles, perfect if worst came to worst and she had to slide around in puddles of blood as demons tried to tear her to pieces.

Underneath the jet-coloured jacket rested two chrome 50 cal Desert Eagles that sat in their holsters and at her belt hung a katana as well as ammunition. Natsuki rarely used the katana that had been her father's before he had died, but she always took it with her when she had to go on a mission. There have been times when she was forced to use it and every time it saved her life.

Besides, she secretly liked the thought that her ancestors were close to her in times of danger. Natsuki often stared at her reflection in the blade, as if her mirrored-image would shift into the man who she had forgotten long ago, so she could search his face to find some resemblance to her own. As she did this her fingers would slide over the wolf carved into the blade and then along to the kanji that stated the swords name; Duran.

Natsuki nodded as she felt her attire was good enough for the meeting and left her small office. Half of her clothes stayed at work because there have often been times that meant she had to get changed quickly and it took too long to go back home. Also it meant that she could come to work in her motorbike leathers and wear more comfortable clothes during the day.

Natsuki was ready for battle and it only took an hour to get ready. She knew it would take Chie another half hour until the woman was sure that she looked irresistible, to women and men alike, but Mikoto and Akira should already be ready. She headed to Mikoto's office and found the young agent slipping a large sword from the case that she had been carrying around.

"Is that your new sword?" Mikoto jumped at the sound of Natsuki's voice, but her surprise quickly turned into joy as a smile spread over her face. At one time, Mikoto would have jumped at Natsuki to give her a bone-crushing hug, but Mikoto stopped after Natsuki was nearly knocked unconscious by her ferocious greeting.

She had changed into grey slacks with a matching vest and jacket. Underneath the vest was a plain black t-shirt didn't stop the woman from looking smart. If a fight broke out she could just take off the jacket and she would be totally unrestricted. Natsuki noticed that Mikoto was wearing boots as well.

"Yeah, Kirikizu couldn't be mended, so I brought Miroku. Isn't he beautiful?" Natsuki nodded in agreement. Mikoto's old claymore had shattered after an encounter with an angel who was trying to break the treaty so he could take revenge on the demon who killed his lover. Natsuki had always appreciated nice weapons and she had thought Kirikizu was a wonderful sword, with the white metal shaped in a simple yet elegant design.

But Miroku in comparison was breath-taking. The black metal seemed to match its owner's appearance and was several inches longer than Kirikizu, which made it as tall as Natsuki herself. Red binding was wrapped around the hilt and a tassel the same colour hung from the end. Near the hilt a plate of polished gold ran down the blade's centre, reflecting its surroundings flawlessly around the kanji that named it.

"Want to try to pick it up?" Mikoto asked teasingly, although pride pounding in her veins because of the adoration in her friend's eyes. Natsuki quickly shook her head. She could barely lift the other claymore off the ground, so there was no way she would be able to manage a longer, heavier blade.

Mikoto chuckled and told her to watch carefully. In one swift movement she picked up Miroku and slashed through the coat stand nearby, leaving a jagged scar across the wall since the room was too small for such demonstrations.

"Whoops," Mikoto grimaced as she scratched the back of her head gingerly, keeping hold of Miroku with one hand, blade tilted but not quite touching the floor. Natsuki stared at the wall with wide eyes, then turned back to Mikoto and saw that she still hadn't dropped the sword. Narrowing her eyes, Natsuki smacked the younger woman around the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For buying a demonic blade, you idiot! You do realise that they can possess your soul, don't you?" Natsuki scolded. She had become a very close friend to the ebony haired woman and it was her job to look after her for Mai.

"But my girlfriend chose it for me! And I had it checked out by Sister Yukariko, she said it was fine," Mikoto protested. Natsuki rolled her eyes when Mikoto mentioned her mysterious girlfriend and was about to go on a rant when Akira ducked her head into the room.

"Hurry up! We're going!" Akira commanded before she left the room and strode off down the corridor. Natsuki jogged after her, leaving Mikoto to put the claymore back in its case and to shove her Glock 37 in its holster at her hip.

They followed Akira to the garage, where Chie was waiting for them next to her dark blue 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer. Natsuki slowed down and was about to go to her Ducati when Chie called to her and shook her head.

"Why?"

"Midori said that _everyone_ had to go in my car. Besides, you don't know where we're going," Chie replied with a smug smile, as she rested her hand against her beloved vehicle, almost caressing it.

Chie had gone all out with her appearance, wearing a tailored black suit with a white dress shirt and red tie. She had replaced her glasses with contacts and she also wore boots, although they had more of a heel as they were worn more for style than practicality. Her M9 Berretta hung from her hip, which was the only sign that she was prepared for a fight. Anyone who didn't know her would say that she was about to go out for a meal at an expensive five-star restaurant.

Natsuki sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she continued to march over to the car. She eyed the vehicle suspiciously before opening the door and getting in. Ever since the day she lost her mother she hated travelling on the road in anything that had more than two wheels. She sat next to Akira whilst Mikoto rode shotgun.

"So why are we leaving earlier than planned?" the blue haired woman asked dryly. She realized then that she forgot her PSP and cursed herself as Chie started the car. Game consoles were one of the few things that allowed her to take her mind off the fact she was in a car and settle her nerves. The car passed the motion sensor and the garage door swung open.

"The Amethyst Viper moved the meeting forward as she plans to announce her forfeit at noon," Akira replied in a monotone fashion. The ninja wore a berry coloured blouse with black slacks, but she had kept the belt and converse as part of her attire. She didn't have a gun, but instead added more shurikens to her arsenal.

"She's playing with us," Natsuki snarled. "She knows that S.E.D. wants her to be ruler of Hell, so she's going to take us out before skipping off to crown herself queen."

"You mean Satan. And we can't know for sure that's what her plans are. Anyway, what I want to know is how did you see that… thing this morning?" Chie said as she waited for an opening or for someone to let her get onto the main road. Natsuki winced but she knew this was coming.

"I had that nightmare again."

"Have you tried getting laid? You won't get any dreams at all that night."

"Chie! Do you ever _not_ think about sex?" Mikoto reprimanded as Akira simply raised an eye brow. Chie merely laughed in response.

Natsuki said nothing. She had tried so many things to get the nightmares to stop, but nothing seemed to work. Whenever she slept with anyone, man or woman, the nightmare was replaced by another which somehow terrified her even more and sent pain cutting deep into her soul.

"_Why?"_

_Tear-stained crimson eyes shone with betrayal through tawny locks of hair, causing Natsuki to look away ashamed. Why, indeed. Why did she always have to hurt her? The biker desperately wanted to ease her most important person's pain, but she was the cause._

"_All I've ever wanted is you, Natsuki. Why do you betray me? Do you hate me?"_

"_No! I could never hate you. I… I love you."_

"_Really?"_

"_Of course I do! We're meant to be together, just like you said the day we met. Without you I'd be incomplete," Natsuki said in her softest voice, putting all of her emotion in her words. A small smile appeared on the face of her love, eyes taking on a dangerous glint._

"_Then prove it." As their lips met, all Natsuki could taste was blood._

The rest of the journey was spent in silence as Natsuki pondered the dream. Mikoto tried to start up a conversation several times but quickly gave up as her friend was deep in thought, Akira wasn't a very talkative person and Chie didn't like to converse whilst she was driving.

Natsuki couldn't understand the dream and no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure out what it meant. Although she had never met the woman, she felt a strong connection to her and understood the basis of her betrayal, as she had just had sex with a stranger. What her feelings for the woman and the taste of blood meant however completely stumped her. As they neared the destination, she decided to just put it down to her conscience speaking to her, even if she couldn't shake the feeling that it was something deeper than that.

To her surprise, her contemplation had calmed her instead of agitated her, so when they pulled up outside of a traditional styled house in Fuuka's wealthiest area, Natsuki felt as if she was coming home after a nice bike ride by the ocean. They all got out the car and walked to the entrance.

"Remember, let Chie do the talking and don't do anything rash," Akira told them in a low voice, but they all knew that it was mainly aimed at Natsuki. The blue haired agent nodded and tapped on the door. It was answered by a seedy-looking man wearing a stained suit and a smirk. Natsuki recognised the demon immediately.

"Yamada, I thought there was a foul stench in the air," she said with disdain, earning her a dig in the ribs by Mikoto. Yamada's smirk got wider.

"Ah, I knew I recognised you Kuga, what a pleasant surprise. Tell me, how are the nightmares?" He replied with sweetly, his eyes flashing with joy at Natsuki's growl.

The two hated each other intensely. Yamada had given Natsuki false information which resulted in the loss of a fellow agent's life and almost her own. Since she couldn't prove that Yamada set her up, Natsuki took her revenge by hunting down the demon's son who was wanted for murdering five innocent families and attempting to sabotage the treaty.

"We're here to see the Amethyst Viper," Chie smoothly interrupted Natsuki's retort, giving Yamada a charming smile. Yamada looked down his nose at her and sniffed.

"Of course you are, follow me."

The demon led them through the corridors of the house, the thin walls filtering through beige-tinted light, the old wooden floorboards creaking underneath their feet. The agents were all on guard and the only one who didn't have their fingers twitching in anticipation to reach for their weapon was Chie, but that was because her tool of mass destruction was already inside her mouth.

They paused outside a door and as Yamada began to open it, Natsuki felt an incredible need to get inside the room, as if she was being drawn to a magnet. She had no idea what waited for her on the other side would change her life forever.

"Nao?" Mikoto whispered in disbelief when the occupants of the room were revealed, her gaze locked onto a red haired woman the same age of her, who had a similar look of shock on her face. Chie and Akira watched with curiosity, but Natsuki paid no heed.

All she cared about were the crimson eyes staring back at her.


	3. The Amethyst Viper

The Devil's Throne

**The Amethyst Viper**

Author's Note: Well, this is a dramatic chapter. Thank you for all the great feed back!

BTW: Wahoo! I did it, I got this chapter done before my trip!

**Disclaimer: Yes,**_** of course**_** I own Mai Hime and everything else I mention in this story. Saying I don't is like saying people actually**_** like**_** ShizNat. We all **_**love**_** Natsuki going after Tate in the manga! Yay! Tch, stupid authorities and stupid manga…**

Natsuki's heart was racing. The woman with crimson eyes was sitting in a seiza position, her indigo coloured kimono decorated with a violet snake that wound itself around her body, the top proportion of its body coming over her left shoulder so it could lay its head on her breast, its ruby eyes almost as disturbing as its owner's.

Tawny hair cascaded down her back, falling short of her waist by three inches, rebelling against the other-wise formal appearance with their slightly ruffled waves. Pink lips were pulled into a smile, the corners a little too curved for it to merely be a smile of welcome, whilst unusual eyes gleamed with restrained excitement. Everything about her was breath-takingly beautiful.

Natsuki knew without a doubt that this was the Amethyst Viper and a hurricane of emotions swirled inside of her. She hated the way the heiress was looking at her and felt her usual disdain for demons rise from her gut, her instincts screaming at her to take her gun and shoot the monster before she destroys any innocent lives.

But most of all she hated how attracted she was to her. She longed to get closer to the demon. She wanted reach out and touch that porcelain skin, run her fingers through silken hair, hear the voice that had not yet been revealed to her, although she had a good idea what it sounded like. Natsuki momentarily wondered if she had gone insane and wondered whether she should just shoot herself to rid herself of the horrifying thoughts and the weird sensation in her chest.

Mikoto was in a similar position. Her mind was racing through any ideas that might give a good reason as to why her girlfriend was here, trying not to focus on the possibility that Nao is a demon.

"You're apart of S.E.D.? I thought you were a cop!" Nao finally burst into action, leaping up from where she was sitting next to the Amethyst Viper wearing a powdery green kimono, breaking Natsuki and Mikoto's line of thought.

"And I thought you were human!" Mikoto instinctively yelled back. Nao recoiled, the hurt showing clearly on her face before twisting into a sneer. Mikoto clapped her hand over her mouth before lowering it, her voice filled with regret as she spoke. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-."

"I don't want to hear it! I thought you were different, I thought that you… that I…" Nao shook her head, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Mikoto took a step towards her, hand hovering out in front of her, wanting to stop Nao's pain but unsure whether she'd accept her touch.

There was no law against humans being in a love with either angels or demons, but many found it hard to come to terms with such relationships and it was usually quite a shock to those who find out their lover isn't human. Nao had been through this before, but she thought that she and Mikoto had something that could overcome her heritage; apparently not. Now the usually mischievous woman was doing her best not to break down and cry.

Nao had grown up thinking she could be with anyone she wanted, with her shapely body and her attractive face. Her vivid red hair that hung below her shoulders always caught people's eyes and she kept their attention with her hypnotising lime green eyes, her soft voice and her seductive body language.

She couldn't help the fact that she was more attracted to humans than those of her own kind, so when she first faced rejection she felt heart-broken. But this time she felt like her very soul was being ripped to shreds.

Natsuki couldn't stand it anymore. The sight of the distraught demon unnerved her even more than she already was. Pulling out a Desert Eagle, she pointed it at the Amethyst Viper, eyes on the demon's now emotionless face.

"Natsuki, what are you doing?" Chie gasped, causing everyone's attention to be drawn to the blue haired agent.

"What are you trying to pull?" Natsuki spat, ignoring Chie completely. "You get your lackey to go out with Agent Minagi and buy her a demonic sword. Then you say you don't want to rule a whole plane of existence and pull our meeting forward at a whim. Give me one reason why I shouldn't send you on a one-way trip back to hell."

The Amethyst Viper giggled, amusement shining in red orbs that momentarily reminded her of the gateway that marred the blueness of the sky. Natsuki's grip on the pistol tightened dangerously in anger. Chie stepped forward to intercept her but Akira put her hand on her shoulder and shook her head. They didn't want to surprise Natsuki and for her accidentally shoot the heiress.

"Ara, ara, I'm sorry I laughed, but I found it amusing that a S.E.D. agent is threatening to kill me. I thought the Supernatural Emergencies Department wanted me to defeat my siblings. Is that not the case?" The Amethyst Viper replied in a sensual Kyoto-ben accent, her voice calm and even although she was being held at gun point.

"Yes."

"Then I would appreciate it if you put your gun away. And just so you know Agent Kuga, I have nothing to do with Yuuki-san's relationship with Agent Minagi," the demon said with a reassuring smile that made Natsuki want to believe everything she said, but it didn't matter whether she believed or not. She had a job to do and she wasn't making things easier for herself. She huffed and shoved the gun back into its holster. The Amethyst Viper's smile widened. "Good. Now if you would all like to sit down, we can discuss the matters at hand."

Nao, Akira and Chie copied the Amethyst Viper whilst Natsuki and Mikoto sat down cross-legged. The agents were facing the demons, with Chie sitting directly opposite the heiress with Natsuki on her right and Akira on her left facing Nao. Mikoto sat next to Akira, glancing occasionally at Nao who was ignoring her, wishing that they could talk about more personal things. Natsuki frowned.

"Wait a minute, how did you know my name?" she asked, staring at the Amethyst Viper. The tawny haired woman reached beside her and picked up four folders, handing out one to each of the agents. Natsuki opened up her folder and gasped.

**Name: Lt. Natsuki Kuga**

**DOB: August 15, aged 26**

**Family: Mother: Saeko Kuga - Deceased, Father Unknown**

**Former Occupation: Enlisted in army at 18, served 5 years, promoted to second lieutenant and was about to receive further promotion when honourably discharged.**

**Former S.E.D. Supernatural Contact: Demon killed mother whilst driving, subject was 10 years old. Later saved the life of General Hiroshima from angel attack, only survivors.**

There was a lot more information including past events and personal things that Natsuki would have preferred to have kept private. In the top corner was a picture of her obviously not aware that she was being watched, let alone photographed.

"Where did you get this?" Chie asked in a low voice, her face white and body trembling. Natsuki looked down to see the picture of Chie and raised an eyebrow in surprise; she didn't know that Chie was in the navy.

"Various contacts. I wanted to know who Agent Sugiura would send, so I got the top four, although I didn't expect you all to come. But I bet you all know a lot about me." Everyone was silent. The Amethyst Viper tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "Do you even know my name?"

"The Amethyst Viper?" Mikoto said in an unsure voice, to which Nao sniggered. All four agents felt violated and embarrassed. Midori was going to be in trouble. The Amethyst Viper sighed and shook her head.

"Then I apologize for not introducing myself sooner, but I assumed you knew. My name is Shizuru Fujino. The Amethyst Viper is only my title." Shizuru then remembered the red head beside her. "And this is Nao Yuuki, my… assistant."

"And I am no one's lackey!" Nao hissed, referring to Natsuki's comment earlier. Natsuki rolled her eyes, knowing what the demonic heiress meant but didn't say.

Nao was Shizuru's slave. Shizuru could command anything of Nao and she would do it, even if she didn't want to. A slave's life was bound to their master but not the other way around. This meant that the slave could be killed at the master's whim, but if another demon attempted to kill the master to take possession of the slave, then it would be meaningless.

"Despite whatever information you thought we had on you, you still shouldn't have got this much information," Chie growled, with Akira nodding in agreement. "If you're going to apologize for lack of courtesy, then please apologize for the more serious crime of invasion of privacy."

Natsuki glanced again at the Chie's file, momentarily reading all the information on the file due to the magic that radiated from the demons. She then looked away, ashamed that she had read it without asking.

**Name: Chie Harada**

**DOB: June 7, Aged 25**

**Family: Mother: Izumi Harada, Father: Katsuro Harada, Brother: Tatsuya Harada**

**Former Occupation: Joined navy at 18. Seamen first class based in Fuuka port for four years before discharged.**

**Former S.E.D. Supernatural Contact: Human woman called Aoi Senoh used subject for revenge against former demonic lover. Demon then destroyed ship subject was supposed to be serving on.**

"I'm sorry, but like I said, I expected you to have similar information on me. I just wanted to be prepared," Shizuru replied, her voice showing traces of regret whilst her face showed nothing at all. Chie's jaw tightened for a second, but then relaxed, slipping on a smile that would have most girls swooning at the sight of dazzling white teeth, even if it did seem a little forced.

"Thank you. Now on to business; why are you forfeiting your right to the throne?"

"Ara, ara, I was wondering when we would get on to that," Shizuru sighed as she pulled out a tray filled with traditional tea making equipment and cups from behind. As she started to make the tea she spoke.

"As exciting as the prospect is to rule over an entire species, I'm not the sort of person who wants a lot in life. I have very…select desires." Her eyes flicked over to Natsuki, who had to suppress a shiver from the suggestiveness that was blended with that lilting tone. "You see, Agent Harada, I find that there is just too much hassle in ruling a plane of existence, when I can be here on Earth having fun instead. Anyway, have you ever been to Hell? It's a dreadful place."

"Can't we make some sort of exchange? And won't your subordinates make it easier for you when you're Satan? After all, you are the favourite," Akira reasoned. Natsuki barely resisted the urge to snigger, thinking that her fellow agents were playing right into the heiress's hands. Of course she wanted something, but the question was: what?

"Well, let's see, what would be a suitable price for sacrificing my freedom for some humans? Ara! I know! I want Agent Kuga!"

"WHAT?" Natsuki balled, her face going bright red. Shizuru smiled at her, crimson eyes softening at the adorable shade. Nao rolled her eyes as Mikoto giggled childishly, whilst Akira's jaw went slack.

"You want what?" Chie asked in disbelief. Although she wasn't interested in Shizuru, she was in shock that her natural pulling powers had failed her for the first time. And she was wearing Lynx! Not to mention Natsuki put a gun to the women's head!

"Excuse me, that didn't come out quite right," Shizuru explained, although the look in her eyes said something different. "I have a week left until it's too late to battle and I would like to spend it getting to know her, as she seems like a most interesting person."

"Well, it doesn't sound too bad… alright! We've got a deal!" Chie exclaimed, making Natsuki gasp with indignation. Since when was she a bargaining chip?!

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?"

"Nope," Akira retorted as Chie and the Amethyst Viper shook hands. She had just been sold to the Devil herself to persuade her to become a ruler of an entire plane of existence. Natsuki felt that they were getting the short straw here. But at least the world won't be annihilated by a power-hungry demon and his army.

After some discussion, it was decided that Natsuki was to go back to headquarters then take the Amethyst Viper to dinner later that evening, and Shizuru wasn't to announce that she was giving up sovereignty. After exchanging cell phone numbers, Natsuki motioned that she was ready to leave and all of the agents except Mikoto stood up.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Fujino-san," Chie said with her usual charm, as Akira nodded and bowed politely. Shizuru bowed back.

"Like-wise Harada-san, Okuzaki-san, I have enjoyed this meeting. And take care, my Na-tsu-ki. I'll see you later."

"Uh, yeah, later," Natsuki fumbled as she was about to bolt to the door, the heat in face telling her that she was blushing once again. The way the demon said her name was so tender, she forgot to reprimand the woman for being so informal. She still didn't trust the Amethyst Viper, but there was something about her that simply turned Natsuki's brain to mush just by hearing her voice.

Mikoto was sitting in front of Nao, holding her hand although the red head was struggling to get out of her gentle but firm grip. Mikoto was the sort of person who liked to act on her feelings and five years ago she wouldn't have given any thought to her emotionally-controlled actions. But it took a broken heart to change that.

On the night of her eighteenth birthday, Mikoto kissed Mai, deciding to show her real feelings to the older girl. Mai kissed her back, even going so far as to slip her hands under Mikoto's shirt to feel heated skin. Mikoto couldn't quite believe Mai was reacting this way and her heart soared with elation. Then the alcohol took its toll on Mai and she passed out. The next morning Mai called it a drunken fumble and said she was sorry.

"I hope my behaviour didn't offend you. We're still best friends, aren't we?" Mikoto simply nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. The next week she announced her engagement to Yuichi Tate.

In her naivety, she believed that Mai could love Mikoto the same way Mikoto loved Mai, because of the strength of her love and her conviction. But Mikoto had grown up since then and she was not grasping onto Nao because she thought that Nao could love her, but because she knew that both of them felt the same way.

It had been an unspoken truth for the past eight months, neither of them approaching the other from fear of rejection. But that had to change and soon, or else Mikoto will lose Nao forever.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me. I was just shocked, that's all."

"You made yourself perfectly clear earlier, Mikoto. Now get out of here, before those idiots get bored and decide to leave you so you can walk home," Nao snarled back, finally managing to yank her hand away from the dark haired girl's grasp. Mikoto glanced over her shoulder to see that her fellow agents were indeed waiting for her. Natsuki's shot her a look that was absolutely terrifying, because it was somehow pleading yet menacing at the same time.

"Meet me at the park at five o'clock. If you're not there by half past, I'll come find you," Mikoto promised as she stood up, reclining her head towards the Amethyst Viper before following her friends out of the door. Nao stared at the space where Mikoto was, listening to the fading footsteps and then the distant revving of a car.

"Ara, ara, you have an interesting girlfriend, Nao-chan. She seems to be very much in love with you," the sensual voice declared, breaking her out of her trance. Nao whipped her head around and sneered at the nonchalant face of her master.

"Keep your nose out of my love-life and focus on your own! That woman you're interested in seems like a loose cannon to me," she snapped, but Shizuru only responded with a dreamy smile.

"Hmm, but that only makes things more interesting, don't you think? And did you see that blush? It was so cute, I thought I was going to melt. I'm so glad everything went according to plan, it turned out even better than I expected."

"But what's so special about Kuga-san? You're going to be Satan, you could have practically anyone," Nao voiced her thoughts that had plagued her ever since she heard about this plan. In the past, the Amethyst Viper merely smiled whenever she had asked.

"Everything, Nao-chan. Our hearts have been beating the same rhythm before we were born and our souls have yearned for each other much longer than that. We are meant to be one. And Natsuki doesn't know it yet, but she is no ordinary human; the blood that flows through her veins is testament to that," Shizuru spoke passionately, her blood red eyes shining with intense delight. Nao felt chills go up her spine.

"What are you trying to say?"

"All will be revealed in due time, little spider. Just wait and see."


	4. Passion and Duty

The Devil's Throne

**Passion and Duty**

Author's Note: Bloody hell! 18 reviews for one chapter!? Have I died and gone to heaven? Thank you all for reading this and massive thumbs up to everyone who's reviewed; I love you all!!! …Ahem, before I get too carried away, I just want to let you know that the last chapter was one of the key scenes I had in my head since I first dreamed up this story, although it's been modified a lot (Nao and Mikoto wasn't there, for instance. But Natsuki was still pointing a gun at Shizuru. And I just realised how many times I used the word 'interesting' at the end. Your comments are rubbing off on me!). And this isn't the date chapter! This is the long 'sort-out-MikNao-and-what-happened-before-ShizNat-date-with-a-little-bit-of-Chie's-background' scene. Sorry it took me so long to write, but other priorities kept getting in the way. ShizNat next chapter!

BTW: Rile. E. Coyote has done some great fan art of Mikoto at http://riley-dunn. deviantart .com/art/Mikoto-All-Growed-Up-102463974 (remove the spaces.) Thanks!

**Disclaimer: I… don't… um, I don't… oh bugger it, what am I meant to say again?**

The punch bag swung back violently, the chains that held it off the floor moaned once again as another glove-covered fist slammed into the vinyl-covered object, causing it to crash into the wall. The heavy bag wasn't accustomed to being so mobile, since a good blow normally wouldn't budge it more than five centimetres, if you were lucky.

But normally it wasn't abused by a pissed-off woman charged with magical energy. After sitting with the powerful demon heiress and her slave, who probably wasn't weak either, for an hour without burning any of the energy she had consumed, Natsuki was dangerously close to the edge. She could feel her mind struggling to keep its sanity, the temptation to give in to the power and allow the magic to corrupt her soul was almost irresistible. Almost.

Natsuki pummelled the punch bag like there was no tomorrow, gritting her teeth and not letting her mental guard slip even though the tension in her body was slowly easing up. Natsuki was the best in S.E.D., if not Japan, at conducting magic. During fights she simply took as much of her opponent's magical energy as she could and channelled it directly into an attack, allowing most of her blows to be fatal without keeping too much. She wasn't used to having so much power stored inside of her and she was anxious to get rid of it.

Her white tank top was soaked with sweat and her black shorts were beginning to feel like a second skin, as she jabbed in time to the music that pounded from the stereo nearby. A few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail to stick to her face and neck, as she rhythmically bounced on the balls of her bare feet.

If it wasn't for the pent up energy inside her and the situation she was in she'd be enjoying herself. She spared a couple of thoughts to what had happened that morning, cautious to not get too distracted, and growled. How dare they treat her like that!

*****

Midori nodded as Chie recounted the meeting with the Amethyst Viper, her thoughtful expression straying only once to shock at the amount of information the demon had gathered. Natsuki sat next to her fellow agents in Midori's office. She was patiently waiting for the part where Midori said the deal was preposterous and there was no way that Natsuki was going to be under Shizuru's command for a week. But instead a massive smile was brought to the red head's face.

"That's brilliant! Good work Chie, I knew I could count on you! Akira, Mikoto, good professionalism from the both of ya! Now we don't have to worry about a dangerous villain coming to kill us or force all of humanity to work in a demonic Disney World!" Midori congratulated, causing Natsuki's jaw to drop.

"What? You're okay with this? Has everyone gone crazy!?" Natsuki choked, gripping the arms of her chair. "And why are you saying well done to Mikoto? All she did was to get her girlfriend to dump her!"

"Hey! Nao did not dump me! We've just got a few things we need to talk about," Mikoto growled as she glared menacingly at Natsuki. Natsuki gave her a cool look back, ignoring the twinge of guilt she felt for giving such a low blow.

"Well at least she kept her gun in her holster, which is more than I can say about you," Midori said to Natsuki, slurring her words a little. She had certainly been catching up with her drinking in their absence, despite the fact that it hadn't even reached eleven o'clock in the morning.

Natsuki shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't going to tell them that seeing the crimson-eyed woman from her dreams unnerved her, nor about the dream itself. They only knew about the dream she had on a regular basis and she didn't want anyone to know about the other. Natsuki knew that it may be important in relevance to her situation, but it felt a lot more personal.

"You almost cost us the entire mission. We are lucky that the Amethyst Viper likes you, although the Devil knows why," Midori continued, smiling at her little pun as Chie rolled her eyes. "So you're going to take one for the team; spend a week with Fujino-san, do whatever she wants and don't upset her. Understood?"

"But what if she wants me to… you know… do this and that with her?" Natsuki squeaked, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. Chie put her arm around her shoulders and grinned.

"Is that really much of a problem? She is an attractive woman. If I was in your shoes I wouldn't mind-," Chie stopped speaking when Natsuki gave her a light shove, causing her to fly off her chair and land a metre away on the floor. Chie quickly got up and dusted herself off, showing that she was unhurt and in good humour, as she was still wearing her grin.

"Natsuki, if you don't want to go that far with her, then politely decline. And remember I said _politely_! But if she is adamant and threatens once again to leave the throne for her brother… well then sacrifices must be made. We all promised to put the good of the world before our own lives when we joined the Supernatural Emergency Department, and that is an oath we cannot break!" Midori ordered, tapping her hand on the table to emphasize each word.

"So basically you have to get your kit off at the Amethyst Viper's command," Mikoto flat-lined, watching the blush grow darker on Natsuki's face. She couldn't resist getting the blue haired woman back for the comment about her relationship with Nao.

"How the Hell is this fair? Chie is better with these situations than I am! Besides, the Amethyst Viper has got something up her sleeve and she's probably not going to give up sovereignty whether we interfere or not!" Natsuki yelled, trying to get it into everyone else's heads that the world probably wasn't in danger at all from the Obsidian Lord. She felt herself growing agitated and the magic flare up inside of her.

"We know that, but we can't take that chance," Midori replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry Natsuki, but there is no other way. If she wanted Chie, then everyone would be happy. But she didn't. She asked for you."

"Whatever, I'm off to beat the crap out of something," Natsuki snarled, knowing that this was something she couldn't get out of and she had to leave quickly before she smashed a hole through the wall. She rose out of the chair and stormed out of Midori's office, heading to her own so that she can get changed. The other agents looked at each other, knowing that the ride to come wouldn't be a smooth one.

*****

Natsuki had been at the sparring room for half an hour. It was a large room next to the S.E.D. gym complete with a ring, practise weapons and various types of punch bags. There had been another agent practising with a boken (a wooden katana) when she had first entered the room, but he had left shortly after, which meant that she was alone and that suited her fine.

Although her muscles felt no pain or wariness, Natsuki knew that it was because of the magic and she was likely to feel the effects later on, but she didn't care. She was frustrated with that damned Amethyst Viper and how all her thoughts led back to the demon.

She had felt a calculating mind beneath the woman's polite yet almost emotionless exterior and when Natsuki looked into those crimson eyes she saw something that she didn't quite understand, but chilled her all the same. And it was obvious to her that the whole meeting was a set-up, but she didn't understand why. What use was she to Shizuru Fujino?

And why did Natsuki feel such an attraction to her? She's felt lust for women in the past, but never so strong. And then there were the dreams. What did they mean? She knew would have to wait for her answers and unfortunately she had little patience for such things.

She paused and closed her eyes, her breath coming out in short pants. She involuntarily pictured Shizuru in her mind's eye, smiling at her tenderly with eyes full of emotion, an emotion that looked a lot like love. She tried to shake the image away, disturbed by the feelings that the image brought to her, when soft Kyoto-ben whispered in the back of her mind, trickling over her senses.

"_All I've ever wanted is you, Natsuki…"_

"Get OUT of my head!" Natsuki snarled, her eyes snapping open and twisting her body as she sent a powerful round house kick to the bag in front of her. The bag shattered on impact, sending sand and scraps of vinyl flying everywhere. Natsuki stumbled back in surprise. When she realised what happened she began to examine the area around her.

"What the fuck?" She gasped out loud as she knelt beside a lump of vinyl that looked like it had been crystallised. When she reached out and touched the damp, cool surface she quickly found out that it was actually ice. Her eyes widened and she looked around, seeing that smaller bits of vinyl and lumps of sand was covered in the frozen substance.

Her mind whirled, wondering how she could have possibly done such a thing. The magic from angels and demons allowed her natural physical state to have heightened abilities, but there was no way that she should be able to cast spells or turn anything into ice. Only supernatural beings were able to do that.

Natsuki whirled around and quickly left the room after turning off the stereo, being careful not to cut her feet on any of the shards. She had a swift shower in the changing room, rubbing herself down as fast as possible, straining her ears to catch any noises that announced the arrival of anyone who wanted to use the sparring room.

She hurriedly dried herself and threw on a pair of dark blue jeans and a green t-shirt that had white wolf on it. Stumbling out of the room, she put on her boots whilst carrying a bag that contained her dirty clothes at the same time.

No one could know that it was her who did that froze the punch bag. If anyone found out, then her heritage would be questioned and she would be thrown out of S.E.D. for being a covert supernatural being. And she couldn't let that happen.

Natsuki halted. Perhaps she should clean up the mess. She had panicked when she had left the room but know her head was slightly clearer. If she removed the evidence then no one would investigate and then no one would suspect her of doing something that she clearly shouldn't be able to do.

Making up her mind, she darted back to the sparring room and groaned when she realised just how much of a mess she had made. She wouldn't be able to clear up all of the sand but she could get rid of the ice.

Grabbing a broom and a roll of bin liners from a closet in the corner of the room, she began to scoop up the scattered pieces. The blue haired woman used the bit of magic that was left in veins to boost her speed, but it was still an annoyingly slow process. She was half way done when the door opened behind her.

"Natsuki, I knew you'd be in here. Look I've come to apologise for about what happened earlier. Huh? What are you doing?" Chie had her hands on her hips, puzzled as to why Natsuki was looking so alarmed and gripping the broom she held so hard that her knuckles had turned white. The woman had changed back into the clothes she wore before the meeting with the Amethyst Viper.

"I broke one of the punch bags by accident. I'm just clearing it up," Natsuki said in a low voice, her tone clearly telling the other woman that she wanted Chie to leave. Chie took no notice however and instead gave her a friendly smile as she took a step forward.

"Then let me help you, it must be-."

"No!" Natsuki pulled the broom up and held it level with Chie's chest, to which the brunette frowned.

"What's the matter? It's only a punch bag, it's not going to trouble anyone that you broke it," she said as she pushed the broom away from her, causing Natsuki to step back onto a piece of ice. Without any warning, Natsuki tumbled hard onto the floor, the broom flying from her grasp. She lay on her back, gasping for air as the wind was knocked out of her lungs.

"Natsuki!" Chie rushed over to her side and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. This was when she noticed that they were surrounded by the frozen remains of the punch bag. Chie looked down at Natsuki, her mouth simply hanging open since she couldn't find the words to voice her bafflement.

"Promise me… that you… won't… tell… anyone… about this," Natsuki wheezed, struggling to breathe between her words. "I'm not… a demon… or a… angel… I…"

"Shhh, wait till you get you get your breath back," Chie soothed as she wiped away a strand of hair from Natsuki's face, although her mind was still chaotically trying to figure out what had happened. Natsuki's emerald eyes showed her fear as her hand shot out and clutched onto Chie's arm.

"Please… don't tell anyone!" she choked out more forcefully. Chie bit her lip and nodded. After all, she was Natsuki's friend.

"I promise."

Finally Natsuki could breathe again and the two agents continued tidying up, the process going faster with the two of them. They had almost finished working in an uneasy silence until Chie decided that it was time to broach the question she had wanted to ask since the beginning.

"How did you do you do this? This sort of magic is supposed to be impossible?"

"I don't know. But it doesn't matter, this has to stay between the two of us," Natsuki replied, pausing a moment to flick her damp hair away from her face. Chie stopped as well, leaning on her broom as she studied her friend with concerned eyes.

"But what if-?"

"Chie, I know what you're going to say, but I don't care. I did it, we're not going to tell anyone and that is the end of it. It's just the result of a different type of power source, alright?" The blue haired snapped before tossing some more ice into the bin liner. Neither of them believed her excuse, but in her opinion it was better than the alternative.

"Fine, but you've got to keep my secret too," Chie responded, causing Natsuki to stop again.

"What secret?"

"Aoi Senoh." Natsuki snapped her head up to regard the brunette's face. Her lips were set in an unusually thin line and her brown eyes no longer held their playful sparkle, but troubled memories from the past. She smiled grimly. "I knew that you read my file from your expression. You're really bad at hiding your guilt."

"I'm sorry, it was an accident. The magic-."

"Don't be, it feels good that someone that I trust knows about it. Besides, consider it a trade of secrets between friends, we all know that the agent's of S.E.D. don't act like it very often. But I need to fill you in on a few things, for Aoi's sake."

"But didn't she use you?" Natsuki questioned, confused at the soft tone the agent said the woman's name in. Chie laughed and shook her head.

"Let's finish up and I'll tell you all about her. And what really happened."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in Natsuki's office, both nursing a coffee in their hands. They had disposed of the remains in a skip behind the building, confident that it won't be noticed until the garbage men take it away the next day. Chie had thought that it was best to continue their conversation away from the sparring room, so after a quick trip to the local Starbucks, they were sat facing each other over Natsuki's desk. The door was closed, but not locked to avoid suspicion.

Chie sat with her legs crossed as Natsuki leant back with her legs on the desk, both enjoying the temporary silence. It had been a strange day and they both knew that for the next week these moments would come few and far between.

"So, who exactly is Aoi Senoh?" Natsuki eventually asked, deciding that they had to start the conversation sooner rather than later. Chie took a sip of her coffee to wet her lips.

"A kind, beautiful woman who got herself in a fix she couldn't get out of. I first met her in a bar near the naval base on.... a Wednesday, I think it was. I was there having a drink with a couple of friends, when I saw her sitting at the bar alone, looking depressed. I went up to her and asked if she was alright, and she smiled, saying that she was fine although I knew she was lying. It was weird, but I think I fell in love with her then. We talked for a little while, you know, nothing major, just idle chatter with a couple of jokes to try to cheer her up. Then all of the sudden she said she had to go and fled out of the room. But before that she gave me her name. It was very strange."

Chie had a far away look on her face as told Natsuki of her past, as she traced the rim of the cup in her hand. Natsuki took her legs of the table so she was sitting normally. She felt intrigued, since a woman who could steal Chie's heart must be very special indeed.

"When did you see her again?"

"I looked for her at that bar every night, but she was never there. I bumped into her again at a party that one of my brother's friends was holding. She was there with a guy who had scruffy black hair. I later found out that it was her boyfriend, Masashi Takeda. He was so damn possessive of her, he wouldn't let her out of his sight. Later on in the night I managed to talk to her while he went outside after my brother persuaded him to check out his new car and she gave me her cell phone number. She told me to meet her in a café in the centre of town the next day. I went there and she told me she was in an abusive relationship she couldn't get out of. Aoi had no idea that he was a demon. She was so upset that I told her that I'd protect her if she left him and if we pretended to be going out then he would be dissuaded. She accepted, since who would go after a girl who was dating someone with so many beefy friends? We never thought that he would…"

"You never thought he would go after her. And you didn't know he was a demon. It's not your fault that he destroyed that ship, you were just trying to do the right thing," Natsuki justified quickly, seeing the guilt and the pain on the brunette's face.

"I should have been there with the rest of my crew," Chie said quietly. "Aoi found out somehow. She knew that if I got on that ship I would die, so she seduced me when I should have left. When I woke up the next day she was gone and the blood of my friend's stained my hands. A week later he attacked me in his true form, but she arrived just before he killed me and promised to be his forever in exchange for my life. Aoi loved me too, I know she did, or else she wouldn't have done that."

"So is that why you became a S.E.D. agent? To find her again?"

"No. I joined S.E.D. so I could do something right by those who are dead because of me. Call it retribution, if you will. But as for Aoi… I just want to forget her," Chie replied before taking a gulp of the cooling coffee.

Natsuki's eyes widened. At that moment she understood why Chie was so promiscuous. She was trying to forget the love that she still held for Aoi, but couldn't bear to replace her with another.

Everyone dealt with things in different ways. Some people drowned there sorrows with alcohol and drugs. Natsuki kept silent but woke up every night crying because of her nightmares. Chie silenced her memories with sex.

At that moment Natsuki's cell phone began to ring. She looked at the caller ID and groaned.

**Viola.**

It was the Amethyst Viper, but she didn't want the demon's title in her cell phone in case she lost her phone and someone unwanted, such as a demon or an angel, went through her phone and found the number, which could lead to trouble. Also, she was unsure how well known the name Fujino was and she felt uncomfortable simply putting Shizuru, so she created the alias Viola.

"Kuga here," she gruffly answered the phone, hoping she sounded indifferent.

Chie stood up to leave but Natsuki motioned her to stay, so she sat back down with a slender eye brow raised. Natsuki generally hated being in the same area as other people whilst she was on the phone, but the blue haired woman was, although she'd never admit it, scared of the thought of being alone with Shizuru Fujino, even if she wasn't there in person.

"Hello Natsuki," Shizuru said softly, causing shivers to run up the agent's spine. Natsuki frowned in response, but she was unsure whether it was because of the speaker or her body's reaction.

"I'd prefer it if you call me Kuga. Being on a first name basis does not sit well with me, Fujino-san."

"Oh. Well, that truly is regrettable, since I hate being called by my second name unless it is strictly business."

"Our arrangement _is _strictly business," Natsuki retorted as she began to fiddle with her hair. Chie was leaning forward slightly, trying to catch the other side of the conversation.

"Ara, ara, from your point of view that may be. But I intend to have a pleasurable time this week, and since you will be at my side for the majority of that time I cannot see how we can keep a professional relationship. Perhaps we could come up with a negotiation that could please us both?"

"What do you suggest?"

"Would you be comfortable if I call you Natsuki-san and you call me Shizuru-san?" The tawny haired demon proposed, although she knew that the deal wouldn't be kept for very long. She would soon be calling the gorgeous agent _her_ Natsuki.

"Alright, that sounds reasonable," The biker replied after a short deliberation. Natsuki had a feeling that Shizuru had other intentions but didn't see the harm in accepting the innocent negotiation.

"Ara, I'm glad you agree," the voice purred down the phone. "Anyway, I've booked the table at the Shinogu for quarter past eight. Would you like to pick me up at half past seven?"

"Yeah, if you want."

"Yes, I do want. Just out of curiosity, what kind of car do you drive?"

"Car…?" Natsuki repeated as her brain registered the question, whilst she blushed madly from the suggestive comment that was delivered with a flirty tone. When she realised what she was being asked, she bolted upright in her seat, uncrossing her legs and planting both feet firmly on the ground in the process. "I don't drive cars!"

"Ara? Well this could be quite the problem."

"Can't you drive?"

"I can, but I let some friends of mine borrow my car for their anniversary and they won't be back until the morning. Nao should out as well, sorting out her relationship problems."

Natsuki sighed and leaned back in her chair. Although she didn't really want to see Shizuru, she had to find a way to get them to the restaurant. Her eyes drifted over to Chie, who was playing with her empty coffee cup since she had given up trying to piece together what was happening through Natsuki's stunted replies, and a smile tugged at her the corners of her lips.

"Wait a moment, Shizuru-san. I think I've got a solution," Natsuki said down the phone before taking her ear away from the phone and placing her hand over the mouth piece. "Chiiiieee."

"What?" Chie jumped to attention, disturbed at the tone of Natsuki's voice and even more so when she saw the woman pouting at her. She wasn't accustomed to Natsuki looking so adorable; the brunette was used to seeing her looking like an ice queen or a terrifying warrior, but the look Natsuki was giving her now horrified her.

"Me and the Amethyst Viper need a lift to the Shinogu. Since you're such a _brilliant_ friend and agreed to this _wonderful_ arrangement, you wouldn't mind dropping us off, _would you?_" Natsuki said in a sickly sweet voice with an equally sweet smile, as her emerald eyes suddenly hardened and dared her to refuse.

"Erm, yeah, sure, no problem," Chie agreed enthusiastically. She did feel sorry that the blue haired woman was being forced to do something she didn't really want to do. And Natsuki was scaring the shit out of her.

Natsuki slipped back into to her normal façade and gave Chie a genuine smile. She pulled the phone back to her ear.

"It's sorted. Agent Harada's giving us a lift."

"Lovely. I'll see you later then Na-tsu-ki-san."

"Um, y-yeah… bye," Natsuki muttered feebly before slamming down the phone, annoyed with herself. Like a love struck teenager, she was stuttering and blushing at the way Shizuru said her name, even though there was NO WAY that she was attracted to her.

Chie watched as Natsuki scowled at the phone. The blue haired agent's emotions were certainly being fickle, but the brunette knew that it was a very stressful day, or she figured Natsuki was going through PMS.

"The Shinogu, eh? That's a very nice place and the food there is excellent but... What are you going to wear?" She asked, knowing that she had to get Natsuki's mind focused on the night ahead of her. Natsuki looked up at her and shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it," Natsuki admitted. "You're good with this sort of stuff Chie. What do you think?"

Chie tilted her head to the side and placed her hand underneath her chin to strike a thoughtful pose. Natsuki looked great in both power suits and dresses, which is what she'd have to wear. Chie cast her mind into the past, trying to think of the perfect outfit in Natsuki's wardrobe for the occasion. She grinned triumphantly and clicked her fingers.

"Wear what you wore to that party in Tokyo a year ago. You know, the one that all the Japanese agents of the Supernatural Branch had to go to." Natsuki looked momentarily confused but her face soon lit up.

"Chie… that's brilliant!"

"I know I am," the brunette replied smugly, pretending to buff her nails on her shirt. Natsuki rolled her eyes but the pleased expression didn't escape her face. Until Chie spoke again that is. "Although it may make the Amethyst Viper try to bed you."

"Damn you."

*****

Mikoto slouched on the park bench, her head tilted back and her arms draped over the back of the wooden panel that her back rested on. If anyone had been observing her, they would have said that she was asleep, since her eyes were closed and she made no movement except for the rise and fall of her chest.

Like Chie, she had changed back into the clothes that she had worn that morning, but this time she also wore a navy jacket with a grey fur trim. It was early October and already signs of autumn were showing. The leaves were beginning to turn golden brown and were rustled by the cool breeze. Above her the sky was a soft violet as the weakening sun slowly began to descend.

Mikoto opened her eyes and raised her head so she could check her watch. 5.27 pm. She looked around and sighed, not seeing the person who she longed for. A sinking feeling entered her gut as she placed her head in her hands and leant on her knees with her elbows. Nao wasn't coming.

Mikoto berated herself for being such a fool, since if she hadn't of been so careless with her words then she wouldn't be sat here now, possibly breaking up with her girlfriend. She had even come to the park early, just in case Nao did. She would wait another ten minutes and if Nao didn't show up then she would find her.

"Nao, where are you?" She murmured, fighting back the urge to cry.

"I'm here."

Mikoto leapt up onto her feet at the voice, her breath catching in her throat. Nao stood to her left, the hazy light making her seem like an illusion. She was dressed in a black cashmere trench coat, which hung open to reveal a tartan skirt and a low cut white top. The leather of her knee calf length, high heeled boots wrapped around her legs and a dark grey scarf hung loosely around her neck.

She had her hands stuffed in her coat pockets and would have looked like she was posing for a photo shoot if it wasn't for the deadly serious expression on her face.

"You came. I was beginning to think that you wouldn't," Mikoto said softly, her eyes absorbing the woman in front of her. Nao looked absolutely beautiful. The red head snorted and stepped forward until they were barely three feet apart.

"I nearly didn't. But there is something I need to say to you too," she retorted, her voice bitter. Mikoto motioned to the bench and they both sat down. Mikoto turned her body sideways so she was facing her girlfriend whilst Nao stared ahead of her, her gaze pointed towards a tree that stood at the edge of a children's play area. Mikoto took a deep breath.

"Nao, I'm sorry. I was in shock and I reacted in a way that I shouldn't have. But the fact is," Mikoto paused and Nao's jaw stiffened. "I love you. I can't bear the thought of losing you."

"Well, it doesn't matter, it's over between us," Nao breathed, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Mikoto gasped and looked like she had just been slapped, her eyes filled with pain. Nao whipped her head around and continued. "I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of getting hurt. I'm better off alone."

"No! Didn't you hear me? I love you! I am totally head-over-heels in love with you!" Mikoto yelled, grabbing Nao's hand and secretly praying that Nao would realise what she felt. "You don't have to be alone. We can start again, we'll tell each other everything so we don't make the same mistake and we will be happy. Nao, please don't give up on us!"

"It's too late for that. Even if we could, it's too hard."

"No, we can do it! As long as we both love each other and we work together we'll make it!"

"And what if I don't _want_ us to make it?" Nao snapped back. Mikoto's face crumbled and Nao had to look away. They sat there in silence, with only sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and the hum of traffic in the nearby street to accompany them. Mikoto still clung to Nao's hand although her grip was much weaker.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't love me. If it's what you truly want, I'll walk away," Mikoto declared, feeling fear tighten in her gut. She didn't want to leave Nao, but if she was wrong and Nao didn't feel the same way about her, it would be wrong to force the woman into something she didn't want.

Nao turned to face the black haired woman once again, the resolve that shone in her eyes slipping as soon as her vision was filled with the broken expression of the agent. She gulped and opened her mouth several times, only to have the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.

That was when she knew that she couldn't lie to Mikoto. It wasn't the fear that Mikoto would know that Nao was lying that stopped her, as Nao was known to be a very skilful liar, but she just physically couldn't. She had never lied about her heritage; she simply detained the truth. But now this meant that Nao, in her opinion, couldn't do the right thing.

"I don't… I can't…" Nao took a deep breath. "I love you more than anything else in existence."

They both blinked in surprise. Nao had not meant to speak her heart and Mikoto had been sure that it was going to be the end of them.

The taller woman felt a childish grin spread across her face as the blood-pumping muscle in her chest soared. Nao stared into shining amber eyes and felt herself mirroring her love's actions, all thoughts of betraying their hearts long gone.

Mikoto pulled Nao into an embrace and buried her face into fiery strands of hair, inhaling the scent of strawberry shampoo. Nao wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist and rested her head against Mikoto's shoulder. For the first time in her life she felt protected, loved and content.

"Nao," Mikoto breathed in her ear, causing shivers to run up her spine. "Let's just be ourselves and start again. I don't care what life throws at me as long as I'm with you."

Nao simply nodded. She was exactly where she wanted to be and couldn't find the words to voice her emotions. Her vision blurred and she blinked, surprised to find salty tears of joy slipping from her green orbs. Mikoto's grip on her tightened, pulling her further in to the warmth of her body and they remained to sit like that, wishing that the moment could last forever.


	5. A Date with the Devil

The Devil's Throne

**A Date with the Devil**

Author's Note: Due to popular demand, I bring to you: the ShizNat date!

**Disclaimer: If you don't understand by now, then your stupidity is blinding.**

Natsuki knocked on the Shizuru's front door, trying to ignore the butterflies that were threatening to burst from her stomach. She took a deep breath to steady herself and glanced back at Chie who was waiting in the car. The brunette was flicking through the radio stations, trying to find a decent song to listen to or a weather report.

The hairs on the back of Natsuki's neck stood on end, sending shocks through her body. Then the sound of the door opening alerted her to Shizuru's presence. She turned around to greet the demon and what she saw caused her jaw to drop.

The heiress was wearing sleek black heels and a sleeveless black dress that elegantly hugged the demon's curves, seemingly enhancing the shape of her body. The 'neckline' plunged down to just below her naval, revealing a full cleavage and gloriously tanned brown skin. Dangling at the centre of her chest was a silver snake embedded with amethysts, although yet again the pendant had ruby eyes that matched its owner.

Natsuki's eyes travelled upwards to Shizuru's face to see sparkling red orbs underneath the smoky shade of the eye shadow staring back at her. The tawny hair had been gathered up into a French twist, although a few tresses escaped to caress the face below, as triangular shaped amethysts hung from her ears. She had a small evening bag slung over her shoulder, matching her outfit with its black and purple design. Shizuru gave her a gentle smile, her lips shimmering from the use of lip gloss.

"Ara, I'm glad Natsuki-san is taking so much interest in my appearance," she said with a teasing tone. Natsuki felt a blush flare up on her cheeks and quickly looked away in a feeble attempt to hide it. She was annoyed that she been caught staring, in fact she was annoyed that she had been staring in the first place, but she hadn't expected Shizuru to look quite so… so… enchanting.

"Err, yeah, you look… nice, Shizuru-san," Natsuki retorted, in an effort to be polite. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to survive the night, let alone the week, but she'd have to try her best.

"Thank you. Natsuki-san looks quite delectable too," Shizuru complemented, her eyes glittering as she scanned the woman before her. Natsuki stepped back, her blush getting darker. Why did everything Shizuru say to her sound so damn suggestive? She glanced down, momentarily regretting to go with Chie's suggestion.

The white dress that she wore was custom made, so it was tailored to fit her perfectly, thus it was as shape enhancing as Shizuru's. Her back was fully exposed down to the waist and the white material was wrapped around her throat to hold up the front of the dress. Around her hips was a silver sash that draped down to touch her bare leg through the slit that ran up to the middle of her thigh.

On her feet she wore white and silver heels, whilst her blue hair remained loose to be tousled gently by the wind. The ice princess image, although ruined by the intense natural reddening of her cheeks, was completed with silver eye shadow and frosted lipstick.

"Thanks, but we really should get going," Natsuki managed to spurt out, before spinning around and marching back to the car. Shizuru smiled deviously and followed her, her eyes fixed on the creamy skin of the agent's back. As they approached the car Chie gave a low whistle.

"Fujino-san, you look amazing," the brunette complimented with admiring eyes through the open window. Shizuru smiled back and thanked her as Natsuki opened one of the doors in the back for Shizuru. The demon gracefully slid into the car before Natsuki slammed the door and rushed to the other side. She put her hand on the handle and froze.

Images of that night came flooding back, from the arrival of the demon to her mother's death to crashing over the cliff, and she felt fear grip her. How could she get into the car when one of the things that were responsible for her mother's murder was in there?

She stood there trembling, as she tried to gather the courage to get into the vehicle. Chie was yelling something at her, but it was muffled although in the back of her mind she knew she should be able to hear perfectly.

Then emerald met crimson and a strange sense of calmness transcended over her. She felt calm, confident and happy, like she could do anything in the world. This was all she needed, those weird but wonderful eyes staring back at her…

"Natsuki! Get your ass in the car now! Natsuki! Natsuki? Are you alright?" Her senses suddenly regained life and Chie's voice crashed into her. She quickly got in the car to be met by two sets of inquisitive eyes.

"Sorry about that, I… was just trying to remember if I left the iron on," Natsuki quickly apologised, using the excuse Mai always used when she began to day dream, since she couldn't explain the real reason why. Chie raised an eye brow but didn't say anything whilst Shizuru simply nodded. Natsuki had the feeling that both women knew that she was lying but had chosen not to say anything.

They drove to the restaurant listening to nothing but the radio, with Natsuki staring out of the window. She could feel Shizuru's eyes on her, but whenever she turned around the heiress was always looking the other way. Natsuki began to tire of the unspoken game they were playing when at last they pulled up outside of the Shinogu after a relatively short drive.

"Here we are. I hope you two have a good night," Chie announced, turning at her seat to beam at her passengers. Natsuki gave her a small glare whilst Shizuru smiled pleasantly.

"I'm sure we will. I'm sorry for troubling you."

"Don't worry about it. It was a pleasure."

"Yeah, thanks Chie. I'll see you around," Natsuki grunted before they got out of the car. Chie watched the women get into the restaurant before beginning the drive home. She still lived near the naval base since she hadn't found a flat she liked as much as the one she had, but it meant that she had a lot of driving to do, not that she minded much.

She drove at a leisurely pace, glad to not be in a rush for once. She slipped a CD into the stereo and began to hum in time to the music, remembering how much Aoi loved this song. She smiled sadly and turned down a road that led through the docks, a shortcut that she had quickly learned about.

The scent of the sea quickly hit her nose, making Chie give out a small sneeze at the intensity of the salt. The only living thing in sight was a couple of seagulls that hovered above, the whiteness of their feathers making them seem like ghostly apparitions against the backdrop of the night sky.

Out of no where, Chie felt a strong aura of magic surge around the car. Before she could do anything, the car was flipped up into the air and rolled 360 degrees before crashing onto its left side.

Chie was hailed by glass shards and cried out in pain as a particularly large piece lodged itself into her right shoulder. She lay there disorientated, her rattled brain trying to calm itself down enough to assess the situation. She managed to realise that her most injured areas were her left side where she had landed heavily and her impaled shoulder.

There were two light thumps on top of the car and screeching sound as the door was jerked off. The brunette looked up to see a blonde girl that appeared to be in her late teens crouched down on top of the car, staring down at her with blue disappointed eyes.

"Aww, Miyu, _she's_ not here. It's just a human woman who looks pretty battered. I thought I told you to be careful when you threw the car," she whined as she looked back over her shoulder. There was another thump as a woman joined the girl on top of the car, her eyes and face passive as she glanced down at the agent.

"I'm sorry, Alyssa. What would you like me to do with the human?" Miyu replied, her cold voice warming slightly when she said the girl's name. The girl cocked her head to the side, tapping her chin as she thought, as small smile spread on her lips.

"Could you get her out of the car please, we need to have a chat. Oh, and scan the car for _her_ aura," Alyssa commanded before hopping of the car. Miyu nodded before crouching down to reach into the interior.

She grasped Chie's injured arm and pulled, causing the agent to scream as the glass scraped against bone and deepened the wound. Miyu ignored the brunette's cries and carried on pulling until she had pulled Chie completely out of the car. The woman scooped Chie up into her arms and jumped off of the car and headed to where Alyssa was waiting for them on a bench overlooking the calm waters.

Miyu unceremoniously dumped Chie on the bench and went to stand beside the blonde girl. Chie opened her eyes that had been clenched shut in pain and was startled to find that part of her vision was a red blur. She wiped her eye with her good hand to find her skin stained with blood. After further investigation she discovered a gash that ran through her eyebrow. She felt inquiring eyes on her and found herself being examined by Alyssa, so she followed the girl's example and did the same to the odd couple.

Alyssa was stunningly beautiful with a childish face that portrayed a perfect picture of innocence, if one was overlook the dark gleam in her sapphire blue orbs. She was wearing golden leg warmers over her leggings and dolly shoes which were both black, whilst a white t-shirt decorated with golden letters that said 'Live for love, Die with passion' protected her upper half of her body from nakedness, as a slate grey demin jacket with sleeves that stopped half-way down her fore arm protected her from the rising winds.

Around her left wrist a series of gold bangles were collected and from her ears hung a pair of small gold hoops, which managed to make themselves noticed through the mass of hair that was arranged into long horns which vaguely reminded Chie of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Her companion Miyu on the other hand had a stern face that was framed with aqua blue hair that hung just below her shoulders. Her fringe stopped just before her eye brows, overshadowing her emotionless dark pink eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless navy top that zipped up from the middle of her torso whilst the bottom forked down at the back to her knees. Black jeans covered her legs and leather army boots were tied firmly on her feet.

Chie then realised that the air was filled with magic that was radiating from her captors, although she couldn't tell whether they were angels or demons, and quickly suppressed the urge to smile. If she did it discretely enough, she could begin to heal her damaged flesh, since it was what she was best at.

There was not a scar on her that was inflicted during her time as a S.E.D. agent, since she could heal anything to perfection as long as she had a constant flow of energy. In theory she could even regenerate limbs, but she had no desire to test it unnecessarily in case things didn't quite go to plan.

Chie took a small amount of energy and applied it to her injured shoulder, feeling a tingling sensation as the bone slowly began to build itself up, leaving enough space for the glass to be pulled out. She couldn't risk suspicion by taking it out herself at the moment, or raise alarm when her wound stopped leaking blood.

"Hmph, she's a fine specimen for a human. Quite handsome really," Alyssa remarked as she finished her assessment, causing Miyu's face to adopt a stonier expression than Chie thought possible. Alyssa noticed this as well, and placed her hand on the woman's arm. "Oh, Miyu relax. You know you're the only one for me. Now, did you sense _her _aura?"

"_She_ was sitting in the back of the car on the right a total of thirty seven minutes and forty two seconds, with an interval of five minutes and seven seconds at twenty two minutes and eighteen seconds. _She_ left the car twenty one minutes and fifty eight seconds ago," Miyu replied in a mechanical voice, whilst Chie sat there dumbfounded. Uneasiness suddenly flitted across the blue haired woman's face, conflicting with the robotic-ness of her actions. "And the Amethyst Viper was sitting in the back of the car on the left after the interval for fifteen minutes and twenty four seconds. She left the car twenty one minutes and fifty eight seconds ago."

Alyssa sat perfectly still, as if she had just been turned to marble. Miyu stood next to her, appearing to be feeling somewhat awkward and, if Chie guessed right since the woman's emotions were quite hard to read, nervous judging by the slight twitch in her eye. Alyssa began to tremble and to clench her fists.

"So, are you trying to tell me that _she_ is with that _bitch_?" the girl's voice was shaking but sharp. "Answer me Miyu."

"Yes."

"Fuck!"

The girl's fist smashed through wood, leaving a giant hole in the middle of the bench, as she screamed so loud Chie's ear drums almost burst. Miyu stepped back as Alyssa threw her tantrum and Chie had enough sense to do the same. She made it off the bench just in time before the thing was shattered with a well aimed kick and magical aid. She thought about making a run for it, but threatening pink eyes warned her not to.

At last Alyssa calmed down with the only signs left of her outburst was her heaving chest and red face. She giggled as she looked at the remains of the bench, which quickly turned into maniacal laughter. Chie raised an eyebrow, thinking that the girl was seriously unbalanced and wondering how she managed to get herself into such situations.

"Well, it may interfere with our plans a little, but our goal is still the same. As long as it is done before the new Devil is crowned, everything will be fine," Alyssa declared with a slight breathiness to Miyu before her eyes turned to Chie. "Now, first things first, what's your name human?"

"Hallard. Izumi Hallard."

"Wonderful," Alyssa replied with a smile, unaware about Chie's use of a mixture of her mother's name and a random surname she got from a film. "How do you know the Amethyst Viper?"

"Who?" Chie feigned ignorance. She guessed that they were after Natsuki and she didn't know why, but the less she told them the better. The girl was still smiling, but her lips thinned slightly, showing that she was in no mood to play games.

"Shizuru Fujino, the Amethyst Viper. How do you know her?"

"Oh! You mean Fujino-san!" Chie exclaimed, as her mind desperately searched for a reasonable answer that obviously wasn't the truth. "She's Kuga's girlfriend."

Chie regretted what she said instantly. The idea came to her and before she had time reject it, the words shot out of her mouth. She watched with sickening dread as Alyssa turned unbelievably pale.

"Is that so? Could you pass on a message then?" Alyssa asked almost nonchalantly, causing Chie's gut to tighten in warning. Miyu's eyes, including the iris, turned completely white and Chie was thrown to the floor. She was kept down by an enormous invisible force that covered her whole body, causing her to have difficulty breathing from the pressure on her chest.

Alyssa and Miyu stood over the downed agent who was struggling to move. Alyssa had a grim smile on her face whilst Miyu showed no emotion at all. Chie stared at them, now knowing that Miyu at least was an angel.

"Sorry about this, but it's easier to remember things that have been accompanied by pain," Alyssa told her, not sounding apologetic at all. Her blue eyes changed colour like Miyu's, but they turned a dull light grey instead and were slightly darker where the iris was.

Chie managed to briefly wonder what the girl was, since she had never seen any race change the colour of their eyes like she did although it was closer to that of an angel's, before her brain felt like it was exploding by the onslaught of her senses.

Chie screamed as the glass shard burrowed deeper into her shoulder, the wiggling movement tearing her newly formed flesh worse than it had previously been before. Before everything went black, Alyssa's words were harshly whispered into her ear echoed around her head.

"Tell my little sister to stay away from the Amethyst Viper. Our worlds have enough abominations."

*****

The Shinogu was a fairly new restaurant, but it quickly became popular for couples because of its elegant yet relaxed atmosphere. Soft music played in the background with the sound of chattering patrons as they ate their meals. Shizuru and Natsuki were sat in front of the double French doors at the side of the room and through the glass they could see the balcony that overlooked a tranquil garden.

"Ara, ara, Natsuki-san is being very quiet," Shizuru pointed out before taking a sip of her wine. The beverage was only a few shades darker than her blood red orbs and had quite a fruity yet sharp taste. Natsuki ceased fiddling with the serviette on the table and looked Shizuru in the face.

"I guess I just don't have much to say."

"It's a shame, because I imagined you would," the tawny haired woman said in a morose tone before continuing in a much brighter one. "That reminds me, I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" Natsuki asked suspiciously as Shizuru was rooting through her bag. The demon gave out a small triumphant yell as she held up a little box, causing Natsuki to wince. The heiress had brought her jewellery. It wasn't that she was ungrateful, but she thought that it was inappropriate and signalled that Shizuru wanted something that she wasn't prepared to give. Shizuru saw Natsuki's facial expression and smiled reassuringly.

"Open it. There's a practical purpose to this as well." She gave the box to Natsuki, who eyed it cautiously before prying it open. Inside was a jewel unlike anything she had ever seen. It was coloured a transparent silver that seemed amplified the light that passed through it. In its centre was a cobalt blue spiral that branched out at the top, as if it was searching for a way out. It was cut into an oval shape and a silver chain was attached to it so she could put it around her neck.

"It is called the Ice Silver Crystal and the only place it is formed is on an island called Garderobe, in the southern reaches of Hell," Shizuru told her with a slightly smug smile, as her eyes were fixed on Natsuki's bewildered face. Natsuki shook her head, as if trying to regain her senses.

"It's beautiful, but I'm sorry Shizuru-san, I can't accept this." She tried to give the necklace back but Shizuru raised her hand in refusal.

"Did I not tell you there was a practical purpose to it? The Ice Silver Crystal absorbs the magical energy around it, creating a storage system for the wearer. I want you to have it so you can be around me without you worrying about passing your limits."

Natsuki bit her lip. Such a device would be helpful to her for the week to come and she had not really thought about the problem her energy consuming abilities would present to her. But she didn't know the full properties of the jewel, which could potentially be dangerous.

"There are no other enchantments on the necklace and there is no secret agenda on my part. I simply wish to spend time with you," Shizuru assured her, as if she had read her mind.

"Why?" Natsuki murmured, to which Shizuru responded with a questioning look. "Why did you choose me?"

"Natsuki-san is a very beautiful and unique individual. Why would I not choose you? Besides, I have a feeling that we're meant to be together, even if it is just for a week," Shizuru answered, her eyes filled with a mischievous gleam.

Natsuki's hands froze where they had just finished tying the necklace around her neck. _We're meant to be together._ Where had she heard that before? She inhaled sharply as she remembered. The dream. She looked at Shizuru with accusing emerald eyes.

"What are you up to Shizuru-san? You invade my dreams and then you set up this ridiculous arrangement. Why?" Natsuki growled. The corners of Shizuru's lips twitched as if she was about to smile.

"Ara, I am not up to anything. Whilst I confess that I planned this before you arrived at my home since your profile made me want to get to know you, I have not induced your dreams in any way. As a demon my psychic powers are incomparable to an angel's and I'd have to be in contact with you to enter your dreams."

Natsuki gritted her teeth. She knew that what Shizuru said about her powers were true. Demons were more physically powerful and could change their shape completely. They also had control over the elements. Angels on the other hand were stronger with mental powers, such as telekinesis and mind manipulation, and could only partially change shape.

"But it's sweet to know that Natsuki thinks about me even when she's asleep. I am rather interested to know what these dreams entail," Shizuru continued as she wore a dreamy smile. Natsuki thought about what she dreamt and turned as red as the eyes staring at her, her embarrassment distracting her from Shizuru's lack of honorific. The heiress chuckled at the blue haired agent's reaction. "Ara, ara, Natsuki has _those_ sort of dreams about me."

"No, I don't!" Natsuki denied in an almost shrill voice, her face almost completely red from her blush. Shizuru resisted the temptation of teasing her further from fear that the woman would burst a blood vessel or something else that would cause her harm.

Natsuki was given a little time to recover as a waiter placed their food in front of them, but not as much as she would have liked because he swiftly left to head back to the kitchens. They began to eat, silent until Shizuru decided to continue their conversation.

"Dreams are strange things, but they're very important to demonic culture."

"Dreams are just dreams, they don't mean anything," Natsuki snorted, wishing that they could get onto another subject. She wasn't on good terms with the images that occurred in her sleep. Shizuru shook her head in disagreement.

"Not so. Without dreams demons wouldn't be able search for their soul mate, which would be quite a terrible thing. A demon must find and connect with their soul mate before they reach the pinnacle of their power, or else they'll go insane and their life will be forfeited," Shizuru explained, her tone light. Natsuki watched Shizuru's calm face, searching for some sort clue as to the demon's emotions of the subject.

"How do you know that the person you dreamed about is your soul mate? It seems a bit vague to me."

"You dream the same dream for periods of time or during certain circumstances. You also feel things like desperation, happiness and loneliness but what you feel exactly depends on the person. These feelings are what drive a demon to do the impossible in their hunt for their soul mate. It even started the war between Heaven and Hell."

They both went quiet as they reflected on their thoughts. Natsuki felt uncomfortable since what Shizuru had described felt similar to her own dream patterns, but there was no way it could be the same thing. She looked into crimson orbs and was taken back by the determination that shone in them as they stared back into her own eyes. She couldn't break the eye contact as she spoke.

"I thought that the beginning of the war was forgotten. How do you know about it?"

"It was never forgotten, it just became a secret of the noble houses of Hell and the highest ranks of Heaven. My father told me so I can pass on the history to my own children."

"So what happened?"

"Back before the discovery of the different planes of existence, demons died because they couldn't find their soul mates, no matter how hard they looked for them. Then the gateway was found. We met with the angels and at first all was well, but when the demons found their soul mates in the angels there was much conflict. Because angels mate for life at a very young age, they were unable to leave their partners for their soul mates, so both peoples began to fight for what they believed was theirs. During the war, Earth was found and then the battle was for territory as well. The fighting finished one hundred years ago when a hybrid united the angels and demons, allowing peace for everyone."

"A hybrid of demonic and angelic descent? I've never heard of this before," Natsuki said in surprise. Although the treaty stopped the war and intermarriage was allowed, demons and angels rarely mixed because of their deep hate for each other and it was even rarer for them to have a child.

"The hybrid was the son of an angel who was raped by her desperate soul mate who was about to reach the pinnacle of his power. The name of the hybrid was Masuyo, but he was better known as the Silver Wolf because of his unusual colouring. He fought hard for peace and he eventually achieved it. After the treaty he married an angel called Aika, but he disappeared not long afterwards and most believe that he is dead," Shizuru explained before popping some more rice into her mouth.

Natsuki merely nodded, although she was appalled by the rape. She thought that someone who declared to have such a strong bond with another being should protect them no matter what, not violate them for their own purposes. But the product of such a gruesome act saved her world and ended a war that shook three planes of existence, so she said nothing on the matter.

"Ara, what do you think Natsuki? Do you believe in soul mates? I know humans are the most cynical race when it comes to such matters," Shizuru asked, her intense gaze locked onto the blue haired woman.

"What? That there is only one person that you can be with that makes you truly happy? No," Natsuki replied in a serious tone, twirling a strand of hair as she spoke. "But I do believe that if you have such powerful feelings for someone, then you shouldn't fight it, no matter what happens."

"Ara, ara, I'll toast to the last part," Shizuru beamed and raised her glass. Natsuki followed suit and as their glasses chinked their glasses together, she could see complete joy in the demon's eyes and she wondered why her response invoked such a reaction.

"So, do you know who your soul mate is?" Natsuki asked, deciding to try to know a bit more about the Amethyst Viper. Shizuru smiled gently as her eyes softened at Natsuki.

"Yes. I first dreamt of her on my fifteenth birthday and she's plagued my thoughts ever since," Shizuru admitted with a love struck tone that made Natsuki grin.

"I hope your expectations aren't too high, or else you're going to be disappointed."

"I'm not."

"What?" Natsuki frowned, unsure what Shizuru had just muttered.

"Ara, I'm so pleased that Natsuki cares so much about my feelings already. Does this mean that we're friends?"

A blush spread through the agent's face as her eyes widened. She was surprised that she had actually begun to feel comfortable enough around the demon heiress to give such a remark. Natsuki mentally scolded herself that she dropped her guard, but she didn't feel as alarmed as she usually would and so the thoughts weren't as harsh as she expected. Could it be that she was actually enjoying herself?

"No Shizuru, we're not friends," she replied curtly, trying to keep the wonderment of her musings from entering her voice. Shizuru gave a disappointed smile, although her mouth twitched slightly when she realised that her name was said without an honorific, something that suggested otherwise.

"Maybe we could be before the week is over."

"That is unlikely."

"Unlikely? So there is still a chance."

"Are you always this infuriating?"

"So Nao-chan tells me."

Natsuki sighed and leant back in her chair before taking a sip of her wine as she examined her companion. The beautiful woman sitting opposite her always seemed to be wearing a smile, subtly changing depending on the subject, but when she smiled at Natsuki like this it appeared to be more genuine.

Natsuki frowned as she thought about the subject she was about to broach. It wasn't entirely her business, but if it was in the interests of her friend then it was alright, wasn't it? She traced the rim of the glass with her finger, noticing that crimson eyes were trained on the moving digit.

"Shizuru, does Nao know who her soul mate is?" she asked tentatively, deciding that she had to know, for Mikoto's sake. It was Shizuru's turn to sigh as she rested her head on her hand, her elbow placed on the table and although she was slouched slightly she still remained to look elegant.

"Not quite," Shizuru answered and was beckoned to continue by Natsuki's raised eye brow. "Nao's soul mate has always been enshrouded in shadow, which is quite a rare thing to occur. The only thing she knows is that they are tall with spiky hair."

"She doesn't even know their gender?"

"No."

"So there is a small chance that it could be Mikoto," Natsuki stated, biting her lip as she looked at her now empty plate thoughtfully. Shizuru admired the expression for a moment before she answered.

"Based solely on the dream, there is only a small chance. But I've never seen Nao-chan act so smitten with anyone but Minagi-san, so she may well be the one."

"Well it's comforting to know that Nao isn't just using her as a pass-time," the blue-haired woman replied gruffly. She knew that Mikoto had deep feelings for the demon and she had been worrying about her ever since she found out about the relationship.

"You're a good person Natsuki," Shizuru complimented, catching the agent by surprise. Natsuki shrugged and lowered her eyes, embarrassed by the way Shizuru had spoken in such a soft yet earnest voice.

"Not really. I'm just looking out for a friend," Natsuki countered. Shizuru shook her head and was about to say something else, but was quickly interrupted. "So what do you want to do this week?"

"Ara, I haven't really thought about that," Shizuru admitted, deciding to let things slide before they got dragged into a debate. "I suppose I'd quite like to visit the zoo, so maybe we could do that tomorrow."

"The zoo?" Natsuki sniggered with a raised eyebrow. "Somehow, I didn't expect a woman like you would like childish things like that."

"Well the animals here are a lot less vicious than the ones in Hell. I shall greatly enjoy the novelty of looking at a zebra without having to worry that it's going to break out of the cage and purposely trample me to death in order to devour some fresh meat," Shizuru replied in a haughty tone. Natsuki chuckled and held up her hands as if she were surrendering.

"Okay, I get your point. But you're going to have to think of what else you want to do for the rest of the week." Shizuru nodded and drained her glass. She noticed that they had finished off the wine that they had ordered and it was getting close to half past eleven.

"Natsuki, after we leave here, do you want to come back to my place for some tea?"

"What?" Natsuki asked incredulously, her cheeks turning red once again. She hadn't expected Shizuru to try to take things in that direction so soon. "Shizuru, you're… erm, a very attractive woman and all that but… I'm not… uh, attracted to you at all in that way." (Author's Note: Liar.)

"Oh," Shizuru replied before a grin formed on her face. "I'm glad you told me. Now that I know you're not interested in me sexually, you can come around mine to have some tea knowing that the probability of me trying to seduce you has lessened."

"Don't you mean you're not going to try to seduce me at all?"

"Have you changed your mind about the tea?"

"Oh, alright," Natsuki gave in, rolling her eyes. Shizuru beamed at her and got the attention of a nearby waiter so that he could call a taxi for them. Natsuki began to insist that she pay for the bill but Shizuru waved away her arguments.

"Ara, ara, Natsuki is so sweet, but there's no need. This restaurant belongs to me."

"Huh? You mean you own it?"

"Yes," Shizuru confirmed with a smirk, whilst Natsuki's mouth hung open in disbelief. It had not crossed Natsuki's mind that the Amethyst Viper was rich as well as the heir to Hell's throne, but after she thought about it, it made sense. The staff had been especially polite to them and such a powerful figure such as Shizuru was bound to have some sort of financial holdings on Earth.

The taxi ride back from the restaurant to Shizuru's seemed to be even shorter than the ride Chie had given them. Before Natsuki knew it, she was being ushered through the front door of the traditional house, followed closely the red eyed woman it belonged to. Shizuru flicked on a light switch and the agent was lead towards the room where she had first met Shizuru that morning, but they entered another that came before it.

Natsuki blinked in surprise at the western-styled furnished room. In the corner was a large L-shaped leather couch that was a chocolate brown colour, angled to face the particularly large plasma television that stood on its stand. In the centre of the room was a rug that was a similar colour of the couch, the cream squares that brought pattern to the design lined up in neat rows, interrupted only by the legs of the glass table that lay at its centre. A floor lamp that stood at the far side of the couch illuminated the room, the warm light casting a homely feeling.

"Ara, is there something wrong?" Shizuru's voice was concerned as she cocked her head to the side, trying to discern why Natsuki hadn't moved much further than the doorway of the room.

"No, everything's fine. I just didn't expect you to have a living room like this," Natsuki replied, shaking herself out of her stupor. She then added quickly. "Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's decorated really nice."

"This is all Nao-chan's doing. I would have done something more traditional, but it's her home too and she does spend the most time in here." Shizuru sat down near the middle of the V on the couch and gestured for Natsuki to do the same.

"So you and Nao live together?" Natsuki settled herself more towards the end and slipped off her shoes, relieved to be finally out of those heels. Shizuru, who was also now bare-footed, nodded and leaned back.

"We have done since we were children. It's both easier and cheaper for us, especially since this is quite a big house. I have the right wing, Nao has the left and the kitchen and reception rooms are in the middle, so we can avoid each other if we want to but we do enjoy each other's company."

"So you're friends?" Natsuki asked, wondering what type of relationship the two shared exactly.

"We are now, although I admit that things did not go smoothly for the first few years. I was eleven at the time we first… acquainted and our personalities clashed. Nao was resentful of me because she was bound to me when she had no say in the matter and I found her rather troublesome. I also confess that I abused the power I had over her. But eventually we learned to trust and respect each other even to the point that we know each other's darkest secrets, so I suppose you could say that she is my best friend."

Natsuki's body was twisted to face Shizuru, so she examined the demon's face as she spoke. Her head was tilted back slightly so her eyesight naturally pointed at the ceiling and the light cast shadows over various contours of her face. Regret could be seen as she recounted her younger years but by the time she had finished she was wearing a small smile.

"It must have been tough."

"It was." Shizuru checked the time on her watch before she rose gracefully. "I really must make that tea, unless there is anything else you want?"

"Tea's great," Natsuki assured her with a smile. Shizuru responded with one of her own and crossed the room to pause at the door way. Natsuki saw her bite her lip before she turned back to face the blue haired woman, crimson eyes slightly apprehensive.

"I don't suppose you'd want to find a film that we could watch?" her voice sounding perfectly casual. Natsuki raised her eye brows. It was getting rather late, so she really shouldn't spend a great amount of time at the Amethyst Viper's, especially if they were going out the next day to the zoo, but Natsuki didn't want to disappoint the person who was staring hopefully back her.

"Sure."

Shizuru beamed before she disappeared from sight and Natsuki headed over to the DVD cabinet. After picking out a few films, she didn't have to wait long until Shizuru returned with a tray that contained two steaming cups of tea and a bag of tortillas. Together, they picked a film that they would both enjoy out of Natsuki's selection and they were soon back on the couch, with Shizuru sitting a little closer to Natsuki.

Half-way through the film, Natsuki felt her eyes began to droop, not used to staying up late due to her incredibly early mornings and due to comfortableness of the couch. She tried to stay awake, but failed miserably.

Shizuru was alerted to her companion's slumber by the light snores that escaped from her and the Amethyst Viper turned her head to see the agent slumped over so that she had her head lying on the arm rest. Crimson eyes softened as she took in the adorable scene and quickly checked that the beautiful woman was indeed comfortable.

The end credits were rolling before Shizuru decided that it was time to go to bed, her excuse being that she wanted to see the end of the film although she actually spent more time gazing at the sleeping figure next to her.

She went to wake up Natsuki but she saw that it was after three o'clock and that the woman was sleeping deeply. Shizuru considered her options and decided that it was far too late for Natsuki to go home, so it would be easier for her to stay there. Also she didn't want the agent to leave so soon, especially since Shizuru had waited so long for her.

She reached out and tucked a stray blue strand of hair behind Natsuki's ear, gliding her fingers across smooth skin in the process. The demon then stood up before stooping down to easily pick up the woman. Carrying her bridal style to the right wing of the house, Shizuru entered her bedroom and laid her down on the queen sized bed.

She found a large t-shirt and quickly stripped Natsuki out of her dress, her heart beat rising slightly when she realised that Natsuki wasn't wearing a bra. Ignoring the blush that had spread itself across her face, Shizuru gently tugged the t-shirt over the agent's head before she pulled the covers over her, thinking that Natsuki was an amazingly deep sleeper.

She changed out of her own clothes into a pair of purple silk pyjamas and slid into the bed. She spent a moment to once again look at her soul mate's sleeping face and knew that it wouldn't be long until she could wake up everyday to the perfection that greeted her eyes. She placed a gentle kiss on her fore head before settling herself down to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, my Natsuki."


	6. In the Morning Light

**In the Morning Light**

Author's Note: A massive shout out to everyone who's reviewed, it's really nice to know that people actually likes this stuff that randomly falls out of my head. If any of you think that my replies are a little crazy or I'm going on a rant, it's because reviews make me go hyper and I tend to spazz. And you've helped me beat my review total, which is now 23! Okay, I'm officially in heaven! *Major spazz*

BTW: Sorry that it's later than I promised, but I'm not that good at time estimates or math in general and I didn't expect certain things to drag me away from the computer. Updates may be a bit patchy from now on, because I've got exams in January and May and I really need to focus on my school work.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime/Otome, but Sunrise is giving me Shizuru or Natsuki for Christmas! X) Or would that just be dangerous? (Shizuru – Natsuki = dead Revalis) (Natsuki – Shizuru = dead Revalis) (Jealous ShizNat fans = dead Revalis) Hmm…**

The first thing that Natsuki noticed was that it was very bright. The sunlight pierced through her eyelids and made her frown. It had been years since she had woken up to find the sun had already risen into the sky. Then it occurred to her that she didn't have a single dream whilst she slept. In her sleepiness she didn't ponder about it and decided to relax instead, since it had been the first time in ages that she hadn't woken up in a cold sweat.

This was when she realised that there was something that was incredibly warm underneath her body. She froze, allowing her to feel that her pillow was rhythmically rising and falling. Slowly she opened her eyes and raised her head, to find herself staring at the sleeping face of Shizuru Fujino.

Natsuki was lying fully on top of the Amethyst Viper, her hands lightly gripping onto the woman's shoulders whilst her head had been lying on her chest. Their legs were entangled and Shizuru's hand had slipped underneath her shirt to rest on the small of her back whilst the other was flung over her head. During the movement in the night whilst they slept, most of the buttons on Shizuru's pyjama top had come undone, giving Natsuki a more revealing eyeful of her cleavage than she had last night.

The agent began to blush madly and in her panic tried to scramble off the woman, but entwined limbs meant she couldn't move. Crimson eyes opened to regard the flushed agent and a lazy smile covered the demon's face.

"Good morning Natsuki. I hope you slept well," Shizuru said with a slightly rough voice, making no attempt to move. Natsuki stopped her wiggling and gave her a cold glare that somehow failed to wipe away the smile that was being directed at her.

"Let go of me Shizuru, before someone gets hurt," Natsuki snarled. Shizuru gasped with mock fear, her eyes shining with amusement.

"Ara? Natsuki would hurt me because I am unable to move, although it was her who got us into this position in the night? Natsuki is so mean!"

"Shizuru…" Natsuki repeated warningly, although the intensity of her blush increased. Shizuru's expression switched to an innocent inquiring look, as if she had forgotten what she had just said.

"Na-tsu-ki?"

Natsuki growled and tried once again to free her legs. Shizuru decided to help the agent and raised one of her legs, accidentally brushing against Natsuki's groin, causing the blue haired woman to let out an involuntary moan.

Natsuki leapt off Shizuru in embarrassment, but since her legs wasn't completely free from the demon's she ended up falling off of the bed and onto the floor. Shizuru bolted upright with concern and leaned over the bed to see the agent in a crumpled mess on the floor.

"Ara, are you alright?"

Natsuki groaned in response and pulled herself up so she was kneeling. She rubbed her fore head where it had connected with the floor, hissing through her teeth as pressure was put onto the sore spot.

"This is your fault," she muttered before directing her emerald eyes at the heiress. "Why were we in the same bed together anyway?"

"You fell asleep during the film last night, so I thought that it would be best that you just stayed here for the night," Shizuru explained, forgetting to mention that she wanted to stay close to the blue haired beauty, so she didn't put her into one of the three available guest rooms that were in the house.

"You should have just woke me up," Natsuki grumbled. Then she realised what she was wearing. "And how did you…? You saw my…!" Natsuki cried as she folded her arms over her chest.

Shizuru giggled and slung her legs around so she could sit on the edge of the bed, flashing Natsuki through her still open top in the process. Natsuki snapped her head to the side and blushed deeply. Shizuru smiled mischievously as she buttoned up the shirt.

"Ara, ara. I'd say we're even now, although it shouldn't matter since we're both girls anyway."

"You did that on purpose!?"

"No, it just occurred to me."

"The way your mind works is scary, Shizuru," Natsuki said darkly as she got up to her feet, when she realised that her taste buds were reeling from something horrid. "Do you have a spare toothbrush that I could use? I could swear that something died in my mouth."

Shizuru stood up as well and walked over to a chest of drawers that was stashed in the corner of the room.

"Scary? You have no idea," the demon whispered as she pulled out an unused toothbrush. She passed it to the blue haired woman who was gazing around the room.

Shizuru's bedroom was decorated in soft lilacs and rosewood furniture, revealing her more feminine side. The bed dominated the room and the large window showed the beautifully kept garden whilst giving a light, airy feel inside.

Natsuki couldn't help but notice the canvas that hung on the wall, feeling a shiver go up her spine as she did so. It depicted a purple snake coiling itself around a silver wolf, both animals radiating a sense of tranquil power. The wolf itself was howling at the moon from the craggy rocks of its home, apparently oblivious or accepting the snake's winding grasp.

Natsuki accepted the toothbrush and after some directions, headed to the bathroom whilst Shizuru went to the kitchen to make some breakfast. She splashed some cold water on her face and stared at her reflection, wondering how her perception of the Amethyst Viper had changed so quickly.

It usually took a long time for Natsuki to change her opinion on someone and even longer to trust them, but she could feel herself doing a total one-eighty with Shizuru. She couldn't help but like the woman, even though some of her actions caused alarm bells to go off ringing in the agent's head.

And why was it that the one night she had shared a bed with the demon that she didn't have that nightmare, the one that she had begun to think that would haunt her for the rest of her life? And did she really get them into that sleeping position?

She shook her head and began to brush her teeth. She had just finished when Shizuru came in carrying a bundle of clothes in her arms.

"We look like we're the same size, so here are some clothes you can borrow until you get home."

"Thanks," Natsuki replied as she accepted the bundle. They both stood there for a moment before Natsuki frowned. "Erm, aren't you going to get out so I can, you know, get changed?"

"Aww," Shizuru moaned with a pout as she crossed her arms, but showed no signs of leaving. Natsuki sighed and with one arm tried to drag the demon out of the room by her hand. Being a lot stronger to a supernatural degree, Shizuru simply stood there, grinning at the annoyed agent.

Natsuki tugged harder, but seeing that it made no difference, she placed the clothes on a nearby basket that Shizuru must use for her dirty laundry and began to pull harder with both hands. Shizuru still refused to move, causing Natsuki to get more agitated.

"Shizuru, come on, get out. Please, I need to get changed," Natsuki pleaded with a rough tone, but Shizuru simply shook her head, enjoying the childish game. Natsuki growled, her emerald eyes taking on a metallic glow with frustration and in response Shizuru's own red orbs widened as her heart skipped a beat.

"Shizuru, GET OUT!" The pendant flashed as it released energy into its owner's body. Shizuru felt the increased strength of Natsuki pulling her as well as a large force pushing her from the back, causing her to stumble forward. The sudden release of tension made Natsuki slam back through the paper wall opposite the bathroom, bringing Shizuru with her since she hadn't let her go.

They landed in a tangled heap in what looked like a study, since bookcases lined the far wall and a desk with a computer sat on top of it was placed near the centre of the room.

"Ara, Natsuki should be more gentle," Shizuru lightly scolded, raising her head from Natsuki's collarbone to stare down into dazed emerald eyes. She poked the blue haired woman on the forehead, but received no response.

With her playful attitude faltering, she repeated the woman's name several times, but Natsuki simply stared at the ceiling above them. Shizuru could feel panic build up inside her and in a last effort to rouse the agent before she called an ambulance, the demon blew gently into her ear.

"Shizuru!" Natsuki yelled in an embarrassed tone as she sat up quickly, bringing Shizuru with her since the heiress hadn't moved off her body. Natsuki glared at the smiling woman who was sat in her lap, unaware of how much worry she had caused. Before she had a chance to start shouting, she heard a snigger. She peered over Shizuru's shoulder to see a smirking Nao and a stunned Mikoto.

"Wow Shizuru-chan, you bag yourself a girlfriend after you've known her for a day. That was fast work, even for you," the red head commented, wearing a taunting grin. Shizuru turned her head around and, unbeknownst to Natsuki, gave her friend a wink. Mikoto never noticed the gesture as she was staring at her blue haired colleague, who at this point was blushing for the hundredth time since she met Shizuru.

"Natsuki? What the…?"

"Mikoto, it's not what it looks like! Shizuru tripped and we ended up being like this!" Natsuki whined, trying to shove Shizuru off her lap. The demon frowned and wrapped her arms around Natsuki's neck, bringing their faces closer together as well as securing herself on top of the woman.

"Ara, after all we've shared together, my Natsuki is claiming that what we have means nothing?" Natsuki gaped as Shizuru spoke with a distraught voice. "How could you that after last night? Especially after you woke up in my arms!"

Shizuru buried her face into the woman's neck and began to sob. Natsuki turned a darker shade of red and sat still, shock freezing her from doing anything except direct her eyes pleadingly at Mikoto, who witnessed the scene with a look that could only be described as amazement on her face.

Nao, on the other hand, was doubled over with laughter at the whole situation. When Nao had turned bright red and was struggling to breathe, Mikoto had regained her senses enough to drag her girlfriend away from the scene before her lungs gave out.

"Err, we'll be… somewhere else," Mikoto mumbled as she realised that she didn't know the layout of the house, before disappearing around the corner with Nao.

Natsuki watched them leave and was aware that Shizuru had become quiet from where she was still nestled against her neck. She glanced down to see clear crimson eyes sparkling with mischief. The agent ground her teeth together, knowing that she had been tricked.

"Shizuru, you know how you wanted to be friends?" she said with a forced calmness. Shizuru raised her head slightly, so she was eye level yet uncomfortably close to the agent's face.

"Yes, my Natsuki?"

"Forget about it," Natsuki growled, her eye twitching in annoyance about the possessive address that Shizuru used. Instead of being upset like Natsuki expected her to be, Shizuru simply grinned.

"I'm sure that you will learn to love me," Shizuru replied, before kissing her on the cheek and bounding away out of sight as she giggled.

Natsuki remained on the floor, staring at the space the heiress had just filled. Her hand rose unsteadily to her burning cheek and as she touched the place Shizuru had kissed, her heart beat tripled and a strange feeling settled in her gut.

"Why do I have a terrible feeling that I'm in trouble?" she sighed, having no idea how right she was.

*****

"So, the mutt has finally decided to stop roaming around the halls half naked," Nao sniggered as a now fully dressed Natsuki entered the kitchen, causing the agent to give a cold glare at the demon.

"You're just jealous because I have a better ass than you," she retorted, causing the red head to snort, although the Amethyst Viper agreed whole heartedly.

Shizuru spared a warning glance to Nao, successfully halting the series of insults that the woman had thought of whilst the woman had been getting dressed. Mikoto stirred uneasily next to her, disliking the apparent storm that was brewing between her girlfriend and one of her closest friends.

Natsuki sat down next to Shizuru at the rectangular oak table with the other inhabitants, helping herself to the pancakes on the table after the tawny haired woman passed her a plate. The woman couldn't help but give a slight pout as she looked at the mayo-absent food, but remained quiet because she didn't feel like being the butt of another joke.

The clothes that she borrowed from Shizuru fitted her as well as her own clothes did, although she felt slightly uncomfortable about not wearing a bra since Shizuru's breasts were considerably bigger. Shizuru had given her a simple black long sleeved top which had a V-neck, revealing the necklace that she received last night, and light blue jeans that had a pattern stitched into the back pockets with a dark blue thread.

Shizuru herself was wearing black corduroys that also had patterned back pockets and a red roll neck jumper. Her hair was loose and Natsuki noticed the way her hair fell looked like she had puppy ears at certain angles.

"So where have you been all night Nao? You're wearing the same clothes as yesterday," Shizuru asked her house mate, causing the demon to avert her eyes.

"Well… I..."

"She stayed at mine last night," Mikoto said proudly as she wore a broad grin, letting everyone know that it wasn't an innocent sleep over. Natsuki was staring wordlessly at her friend, knowing that if she had blurted out what Mikoto had she would be blushing madly, not grinning like a Cheshire cat. The black haired woman had matured a lot over the years and was no longer oblivious to what was acceptable in society, but she still failed to be embarrassed about anything.

On the other hand, a faint blush covered Nao's cheeks and went largely unnoticed by the two agents, but Shizuru grinned behind the cup of tea that she was holding. If the flirtatious spider had such a reaction, then maybe what she had with Mikoto was meant to be.

"But it looks like we wasn't the only ones getting lucky," Nao commented once she got back to her senses. Natsuki gave the demon a look of disdain, getting ready to give her a comeback that would shut her up once and for all, only for Shizuru to interrupt her.

"Ara, ara, me and Natsuki are just friends. I apologise for giving the wrong impression earlier, but you know what I'm like Nao-chan."

Nao smiled and nodded her head, whilst Mikoto raised an eye brow. The cat-like agent had been rather surprised to see Natsuki in that position with the Amethyst Viper, especially since Natsuki generally had a deep hate for demons, but if the two had formed a friendship then it must mean that the heiress had somehow breached the stubborn woman's walls.

"I thought I told you to forget about it," Natsuki said gruffly to Shizuru, piquing the interest of the couple that sat opposite them.

"And I told you that you'll learn."

Before Natsuki could reply or Nao could ask what they were talking about, Natsuki's cell phone began to ring from her hip. She had stashed it in the jean pocket after she retrieved it from her bag in the living room, so she had fumble with the tough material before she could pull it out.

"Kuga here."

"Natsuki, where are you? And where's Mikoto?" Midori asked with a stern voice. Natsuki winced, knowing that something had gone wrong.

"We're at the Amethyst Viper's residence."

"Both of you? Why?" Natsuki opened her mouth to explain but Midori continued to speak. "But never mind about that. You and Mikoto need to come to the hospital and bring the Amethyst Viper with you. Chie was attacked last night."

"What?" Natsuki could feel the blood drain out of her face, causing questioning eyes to fix on her. "Is she alright? What happened?"

"She'll be fine. I'll tell you more when you get here."

"Okay, we're coming," Natsuki told her boss before snapping the phone shut. She looked around to see everyone waiting for her to tell them what happened. "Chie's been hurt and we need to get to the hospital now. Shizuru, you need to come with us too."

"Ara, may I ask why?"

"I don't know, Midori never said," Natsuki replied with a thoughtful tone. "Mikoto, we'll have to go in your car."

"It's not here. We came in Nao's car."

"Then we'll have to go in that then." The blue haired woman shoved the last bit of pancake into her mouth before getting off of her chair and heading into the hall. Shizuru got up to follow her, leaving Nao and Mikoto still seated.

"Oi! Who said you can use my car?" the red head shouted after the agent, only to have Mikoto rest her hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Please Nao, I want to see if Chie is alright," she pleaded, her amber eyes unknowingly melting the feisty demon's heart. Nao rolled her eyes and stood up, grabbing her keys that she had dumped on the table. Mikoto beamed and followed her outside to her car.

After borrowing some trainers from Shizuru, Natsuki walked outside with the heiress to see Nao's red Nissan GT-R with the couple already sitting inside. She sighed heavily. At the rate that she was going, she would be over her phobia of cars by the end of the week. She felt Shizuru rub her hand comfortingly on her back and as much as the blue haired agent hated to admit it, she felt her nerves settle at the gentle touch.

"Ready?" Shizuru asked and even though Natsuki knew that she was talking about getting into the car, the question sounded so much deeper than that.

"Yeah, let's go."

*****

Midori was sitting with her legs crossed in the reception and was reading an article about an excavation site in Egypt when the group walked through the door. She looked up when she heard her name being called and beamed, tossing the magazine aside before striding over to them in a manner that was too enthusiastic to be professional.

"Good, you're here!" Midori declared before her eyes fixed on Shizuru and bowed, correctly sensing that she was the Amethyst Viper. "And this is the beautiful Shizuru Fujino, I presume?"

"Yes, and you must be Agent Midori Sugiura. I'm glad to finally meet you," Shizuru greeted politely with a bow of her own. Natsuki interrupted the pleasantries by clearing her throat.

"Where's Chie?"

"Be patient, Natsuki! I'll take you to her now, but I'm warning you that she's quite upset. Her attackers blew up her car after she passed out," the older woman explained, causing Natsuki and Mikoto to grimace.

The red head led them up a flight of stairs and into the room where Chie was staying in. The brunette was alone in the room and was lounging on the bed looking bored, flipping through the channels of the television with the remote in her hand. Her face lit up as she saw her visitors, although her eyes lingered on Shizuru before settling Natsuki.

"It's about time you got here! Natsuki, I need you to persuade that old witch out there to let me go home. It should be easy for you; just give her a few menacing words and the infamous-Kuga-death-glare!"

"Infamous-Kuga-death-glare?" the blue haired woman repeated with a raised eyebrow, since she hadn't heard the nickname her friends had given for her favourite expression. "Anyway, I thought you were hurt. What happened to you?"

Chie's face darkened and told them to sit down. Since there were only three chairs in the room, Nao sat on Mikoto's lap as Natsuki leaned against the wall by the door with her arms crossed, refusing Shizuru's protests to take her seat because of the devious glimmer in those crimson eyes.

Chie sat up straight and brushed hair out of her face, revealing a neat scar that had formed from the gash on her forehead. She had managed to heal everything when she had regained consciousness, but the prolonged time period meant that it was much harder and she couldn't prevent the scarring, not that she minded too much after being assured plenty of times by the nurses that it heightened her good looks with a roguish appearance.

The brunette told them everything that had happened after she had dropped off Natsuki and Shizuru at the Shinogu, only leaving out what Alyssa had said about Natsuki being her sister. She then went on to explain the problems that she had that morning with the head nurse, a demon that went by the name of Miss Maria.

"She won't let me leave, even though she knows that I'm perfectly fine. No wonder the hospitals moan that they never have enough beds to spare!" she moaned, causing Nao to roll her eyes, as she was the only one listening.

"Then why don't you try to win her over with one of those so-called dazzling smiles of yours? I thought you were supposed to be good at charming the ladies?"

"But she looks old enough to be my grandmother!" Chie shot back as she cringed, not noticing that everyone was too wrapped up in their own thoughts to notice the utter disgust she felt.

Natsuki was scowling and Mikoto had adopted the same, but less frightening, expression. Shizuru seemed unperturbed, but the way her eyes flicked to the blue haired agent after she heard who was behind the attack betrayed what she really felt. Midori leant forward in her seat, her olive green eyes intent on unravelling the mystery that presented itself as they settled on the Amethyst Viper.

"So do you understand why I asked you to come here?" Midori softly questioned, drawing everyone's attention to the tawny haired woman.

"You want to make sure that last night's attack wasn't because I'm involved in anything I shouldn't be." Shizuru summarised as Midori confirmed what she was saying with a nod. "I can assure you that I'm not and it is not in my intentions to bring harm to any of your agents."

"I'm glad. Things would certainly get messy if that was not the case and our deal would have been over."

"Ara, then it would be unfortunate for me too, especially considering who the assailants are," Shizuru replied lightly, causing Natsuki to whip her head around to frown at her.

"You know who they are?"

"Of course."

"Then who are they?" Natsuki probed when Shizuru didn't continue. The Amethyst Viper sighed softly before speaking.

"Alyssa and Miyu Searrs are members of the sixth rank of heaven. It appears that either they have orders to prevent my ascension to the throne or they are acting out their own will."

"Why would they have a problem with you being Satan?" Mikoto questioned with her head resting on Nao's shoulder.

"Heaven may be taking its chance to wipe out my kind once and for all, but if they are acting on their own then they have reasons which I am unsure of," the tawny haired demon's voice was nonchalant and her face betrayed no emotion, but Natsuki had a niggling feeling that Shizuru wasn't telling all that she knew.

"Chie said that Alyssa's eyes were strange. Do you know why?"

"Alyssa is a hybrid."

Chie's breathing hitched and directed her gaze at Natsuki, remembering what Alyssa had said about Natsuki being her sister. Could it really be true? And if Alyssa was a hybrid then did it mean that Natsuki was one too? She frowned as she remembered that Natsuki had used elemental magic and not psychic powers to shatter the punch bag. If Natsuki indeed had angel blood in her, then why was she using magic that only demons possessed?

"Chie? Are you okay?" Mikoto was looking at her friend with concerned eyes, as was the rest of the room. Chie shook her head and grinned sheepishly, annoyed that she had been caught in her speculations.

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just thinking… about my car. I can't believe they blew it up after I passed out," she lied, knowing that she'd have to speak to Natsuki in private as soon as possible. To her relief, everyone seemed to buy her excuse as all of the S.E.D. agents rolled their eyes and Nao smirked, but she missed the understanding that flashed in Shizuru's eyes.

"Alright, now we've got that sorted, I'm afraid I'll have to take Natsuki away from you for an hour. I want all agents of the Supernatural Emergency Department at headquarters for a short meeting," Midori announced, standing up to strike an authoritative pose to the dismay of her colleagues, as they knew that she was in 'superhero mode'.

Shizuru pouted slightly but nodded her head in agreement; she knew that Natsuki had to do what her job required of her. Besides, it would allow her to make an important phone call that she couldn't make around the blue haired woman.

Everyone stood up and began to shuffle out of the room. Chie seized her chance and stood up as well, eager to be free of the horrid mush that the hospital called food and the old crone that terrorised her patients with her disdainful air, who at that moment walked into the room.

She spotted her patient, or prisoner as Chie would prefer, trying to escape and her thin lips almost disappeared completely with anger. Everything about the woman was grey except for her eyes, which were a forest green that held a great demand for respect and order.

"Harada, I thought I told you to remain on that bed until I told you otherwise," she barked, her voice as stern as her appearance. Chie whimpered and lay back down, looking at Natsuki with beseeching eyes. The blue haired woman turned to the much older woman to speak in her friend's defence, but the words died in her throat as her eyes locked with the frightening orbs of Miss Maria.

"Miss Maria, a situation has arisen that requires Agent Harada's presence," Midori stepped in, speaking in a political manner, causing the nurse to turn her gaze onto her. "I would appreciate it greatly if you would discharge her."

"It is against hospital policy to discharge a patient with such injuries this early, but… since it is Dr Sagisawa's partner requesting and the patient has healed so well, I shall make an exception."

"Thank you."

Chie grinned and would have glomped Midori in joy if Miss Maria wasn't still in the room. The nurse glided back out of the room in order to get the discharge papers and the agents sat back down as they waited.

"Ara, me and Nao-chan are going back to the house since you all have a meeting," Shizuru told them, seeing no point in hanging around. She turned and smiled softly at the agent who unknowingly owned her heart. "I'll see you later, my Natsuki."

Natsuki blushed and her friends grinned, even Midori who felt slightly worried about the Amethyst Viper's possessive tone. Nao kissed Mikoto on the cheek before both of them left, walking out of the hospital and towards Nao's car.

"Events are happening quicker than I expected. I thought that I would at least have the evening with Natsuki before Alyssa showed up," Shizuru sighed, dropping her mask completely now that they were alone. The red head kicked a leaf, peeking at the crimson eyed woman as she did so.

"You gave them more information than I expected. They only have to do a little digging until the truth comes out."

"But they must first find the location of the treasure before they get out their shovels. Besides, her powers are awakening and it seems like she is keeping them a secret with Harada-san. I'm sure that I'll be the one who tells Natsuki everything, but a little preparation will soften the blow. I doubt she will take the truth kindly."

"So what are you going to do?" Nao asked as she dug her hand into her coat pocket to retrieve her keys, although she already knew the answer. Shizuru pushed her hair back behind her ears and looked up at the sky.

"I must protect Natsuki, no matter who it is. I couldn't live without her, and you know I'm not talking about reaching my pinnacle, because she is embedded in my heart so much that I would end my life just to be with her. Our time is short and what Alyssa has planned is another fatal obstacle we have to face. I must get rid of that obstacle at the source."

"So you're going to call them."

"I must. It's our lives or theirs," Shizuru stated grimly, pulling out her cell phone. She wasn't happy about the situation at all, but Alyssa had made her move and she knew that she couldn't wait until the unthinkable happened.

Nao unlocked her car and Shizuru waited until she got inside until she dialled the number she knew off by heart. It rang several times and had almost gone to answer phone until a gruff voice answered it, the quality of the sound telling her that she was on loud speaker, but she didn't expect anything different.

"Hello?"

"I hope you took Erstin-chan somewhere nice last night, Nina-chan, or else neither of us will be very happy with you," she teased, despite the oppressive mood she was in. The rustling of bed sheets made its way through the phone and another female voice spoke, but was chirpier than the first.

"Shizuru-chan! I didn't expect you to call!"

"Ara, ara, I wanted to wish you happy anniversary, since a hundred and fifty years is a long time after all."

"It would seem like that to you, but you're young. You'll learn when you make love with your soul mate and although you've been around for a century, it will still feel like it was yesterday when you first met," Nina replied with a soft voice, causing Erstin to aww. "Now, why was the real reason you called? Our anniversary was yesterday, which was wonderful by the way, and you've already given us your congratulations as well as your car."

"You see through me far too easily, Nina-chan, that's why I shall always be friends with you," Shizuru sighed, but meaning every word she said. She had known the demonic couple since she was a child and they still looked like they were in their early twenties.

Demons aged until they connected with their soul mates, living an immortal life without aging until they are killed. Although angels were immortal too, they aged until they were sixteen before they were able to freely appear whatever age they chose.

"I need you to track down Alyssa Searrs and her lover Miyu. They're trying to kill my soul mate, my Natsuki."

"What?" Erstin exclaimed. "But I thought… aren't they sisters?"

"Yes, but mine and Natsuki's situation are very much alike. In order for us to survive, our siblings must submit or perish."

"But to kill her… they're both _his_ children," Erstin's insisted, but her reluctance was shushed by the whispering voice of her wife. Shizuru waited, knowing that what she was asking for was not an easy thing to do, but she had no other choice. Nina finished soothing her soul mate's worries and raised her voice to speak to Shizuru.

"The Fangs of the Amethyst Viper will strike. The targets will be dealt with."

"Thank you."


	7. Amongst the Animals

**Amongst the Animals**

Author's Note: Sorry this took so bloody long, I didn't get to start this until after Christmas Day and as I told you in the last chapter, I've got stupid exams to deal with. Thanks for waiting, I know how annoying it can be waiting for the next chapter of a story, and if it's any consolation, I've been itching to crack on with this chapter since I finished the last. This chapter is mainly about fluff than major plot progression, but it's necessary because Natsuki has some issues that she needs to take care of before she finds out that she and Shizuru are meant to be together. Also it's best that she falls for our lovely heiress because she wants to and not because she feels that she has to. I do confess I found it really difficult to direct this chapter, so if you think I'm going off on my own tangent, that's because I am. But I'm getting back on track with the plot next chapter and we'll have some more action soon! And two ShizNat free chapters. So enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Mine! I'm stealing Mai Hime/Otome and you can't stop me Sunrise! Mwahahaha!!! (Revalis sees pocky, rusks and ice tea in the middle of a badly concealed net trap.) HA! Is that supposed to fool me? (She gets caught in the trap by trying to get the stuff anyway.) Bugger…**

Natsuki was in her office shoving her Desert Eagles into her shoulder holster when Chie knocked on the door. They had just been briefed by Midori and while the other agents were to track down Alyssa and Miyu, it was Natsuki's job to protect the Amethyst Viper at all costs.

A duffle bag that was full of clothes rested on her desk, ready for her take to Shizuru's house. Natsuki didn't think to worry about the tawny haired demon's reaction to her imposition, since she subconsciously knew that Shizuru would love the arrangement.

"Do you have a minute? Because there's something I need to tell you," Chie entered and closed the door behind her after the blue haired agent called her in. Natsuki looked at the brunette's anxious face and leaned back against her desk, not liking the way her friend bit her bottom lip.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's something that Alyssa Searrs said. Now, I'm not sure if it's something to worry about, but it seems to be quite important and you'd want to know about it, not that I've told anyone else since it just concerns you really and I-."

"Chie, quit babbling and just tell me. What's Searrs said that has got you so worked up?" Natsuki cut in before she got too annoyed. Chie took in a deep breath and regarded Natsuki before she spoke.

"Alyssa Searrs claimed that she was your sister."

"…What?" Natsuki responded in a dead pan voice, staring at Chie as if the other agent had sprouted an extra head. Chie began to explain, knowing that her colleague wanted details and fast.

"Do you remember that they were looking for someone after they pulled me out of the car? Well, it was you they were searching for. They scanned the car for your aura and Alyssa Searrs got really mad when she found out that Fujino-san was in the car as well. When she asked me how I knew the Amethyst Viper, I kinda told her she was your girlfriend and-."

"You what!?" The biker balled, pushing herself off of the desk and stopping a foot away from the other agent. Chie winced at the way Natsuki's eyes turned a light metallic green in anger and knew that she was in trouble. "Why did you tell her that for?"

"I couldn't let them know that S.E.D. is working with Fujino-san and it was the first thing that came into my head!" the brunette defended and was relieved to see Natsuki's tense posture loosen a little. It was times like these when Chie was glad that her friend was all about business. "But that was still the wrong thing to say and I'm not talking about your discomfort at being associated with Fujino-san in a romantic manner."

"Was that when they tortured you?"

"Yeah. She said she wanted to send a message and something about things were easier to remember if they were accompanied by pain. Well, I guess that's true, since it's burned into my mind," Chie replied, resting her hand over her freshly-healed wound without noticing. "She said 'Tell my little sister to stay away from the Amethyst Viper. Our worlds have enough abominations.'."

"Abominations? What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Natsuki growled. Chie shrugged and watched as Natsuki turned away to face her desk, noting how the blue haired woman's jaw was almost painfully tight.

Natsuki did not like what Chie's words were implying. Although Alyssa was a hybrid, she did not want to be related to a supernatural being, especially one that seemed to be crazy. And whose child was the hybrid proposing to be? Her mother's? Her father's? She doubted that Saeko Kuga had another child before herself, but the thought that her father, although she had no memory of him, was equally disturbing.

Another thing that made her uneasy was Alyssa's comment about abominations. Sure, Natsuki had been displaying powers that she shouldn't have, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she was like Alyssa. There had to be another reason why she did what she did, such as…

Natsuki shook her head and frowned, consciously directing her thoughts away from finding an excuse as she thought about the message in a different light. No. Alyssa was talking about her 'romance' with Shizuru, which was even stranger since the blonde was implying offspring that was of mixed race. If the blue haired woman or the demon heiress was male and they were actually dating each other, then such a relationship did have the chance that they would have children. But since they were both female that was an impossibility.

"So you've told no one else about this?" Natsuki asked solemnly, turning around to face the brunette. Chie shook her head and the biker smiled slightly. "Good. It seems that we share yet another secret, although it's probably just the lies of an unbalanced freak."

"Natsuki! You can't say that!" Chie exclaimed angrily, her eyebrows furrowed as Natsuki carelessly shrugged. The player was becoming tired of Natsuki's attitude. "You can be such a racist bitch."

"I'm not racist. I just don't like the thought of something that is half-angel as a relative. And why are you defending her anyway? She hurt you and totalled your car."

"That's not the point! The point is that you judge everyone on whether they're human or not. I mean what if she _is _your sister? Even if she didn't have a screw loose, you'd still push her away because you can't let go of the past. And after your little ice display, you might not be a hundred percent human either!"

"…I told you that I don't know what happened back there."

"Just because you're afraid of what the implications might mean. And to you, that's the most frightening thing imaginable."

Natsuki grimaced and looked away, knowing that Chie was right. The night of the accident buried a deep hatred for supernatural beings into her heart and she vowed to avenge her mother's death. She joined the army in her hope to do this and then later S.E.D. after she foiled the angels' ambush on General Hiroshima. During her time as an agent she was able to partially overcome her prejudice, but it had never fully vanished.

The blue haired agent sighed as she grabbed her duffel bag and coat off the table, deciding that she had had enough. Chie crossed her arms over her chest and blocked off the door as Natsuki attempted to shuffle past her.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking Shizuru to the zoo," Natsuki grumbled, causing Chie to snort. "I've got to look after her, remember?"

"It's funny that the one person that you warm to quicker than global warming is perhaps the most powerful demon that exists today. Ironic, don't you think?" Chie sniggered as she moved out of the Natsuki's way. Natsuki gave her friend a cold glare and swept off down the hall, trying to convince herself that the heaviness in her heart wasn't guilt.

*****

"I take it that you aren't that keen on koala bears?" Shizuru questioned lightly, both her cheerful face and voice showing none of the concern she felt inside. Natsuki continued to stare blankly at the cage, not paying any attention to the furry creatures inside or the gorgeous demon standing beside of her. Shizuru's eyebrows twitched, narrowly avoiding the frown that was ready to form on her face.

Natsuki had been in a somewhat dazed state since she had arrived at Shizuru's house. When Shizuru pointed out that Natsuki was still wearing the clothes that had been given to her that morning, the heiress had been perplexed when the agent had simply shrugged without the slightest trace of a blush on her face. Since then, the tawny haired demon had tried to get the agent to react with more than just an occasional shrug or grunt, but had so far been unsuccessful.

"Or is it the company that you are not pleased with?" she continued with a darker tone, to which Natsuki grunted although she wasn't really listening. Shizuru's eyes widened a fraction as she stared at the woman beside her. "I do hope that you weren't listening then, or else my Natsuki has torn a deep hole in my heart."

Natsuki blinked and turned to face Shizuru, finally snapping out of her trance as she frowned at the demon.

"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything. And stop calling me _your_ Natsuki, it's disturbing," the agent huffed. Shizuru smiled broadly, happy that the woman was finally paying attention to her.

"But you are _my_ Natsuki."

"How did you work that one out?"

"Ara, you're supposed to protect me like a bodyguard would for this mission, are you not?"

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that."

"So as _my_ bodyguard, _you_ belong to _me_ for the next week, therefore _you_ are _my_ Natsuki," Shizuru summarised, her smile widening as Natsuki's frown deepened. The blue haired agent folded her arms in front of her chest as she shook her head.

"As I've said before, the way your mind works is scary."

"You can call me _your_ Shizuru if it makes you feel better."

"It doesn't," Natsuki replied flatly, although a pinkish hue spread across her cheeks. Shizuru giggled and grabbed the woman's hand, leading her to the next enclosure as Natsuki half-heartedly struggled to get of her grip. This was when she realised that she quite liked Shizuru holding her hand and she could feel the attraction she held for the demon surface once again.

She slyly sneaked a glance at the demon beside her and felt her heart swell as her eyes drifted over the beautiful smiling face of Shizuru Fujino. If she was a human, then Natsuki would have considered becoming friends with her or something more, even if she did find the heiress was a bit on the eccentric side. She mentally slapped herself. Did it really matter that Shizuru was a demon? Why would it be so wrong to form a relationship with someone who could light a fire with the snap of their fingers?

Natsuki didn't bother to answer her internal monologue, understanding that these thoughts were leading her to a place that she could not venture whilst she was on such a mission. If she was to be Shizuru's bodyguard then she couldn't get too emotionally close to the demon, or risk endangering both of their lives.

Besides, Natsuki could tell that Shizuru was very much in love with her soul mate although she has yet to meet her in person, not to mention that she was only on Earth for a limited amount of time and, if everything went to plan, she was to be the next Satan.

"Ara, ara, so what was so thought-consuming that my Natsuki has forsaken to speak to me when we are supposed to be enjoying ourselves?" Shizuru asked as they stopped to survey a pair of snow leopards, still not letting go of the blushing agent.

"Something has been brought to my attention this morning which may change my life completely and I was trying to decide how I should approach it. I'm sorry if I have ruined your day out," Natsuki gruffly explained as she flicked back her hair with her free hand. She had given up on 'trying' to get out of the demon's hold. Shizuru tilted her head to the side as she regarded her bodyguard, her crimson eyes gleaming as an incoherent expression was etched onto her face.

"Is that so? Then I hope that this information makes your life better, not worse." The look was gone and was replaced with a demure smile. "And there is no need to apologise, as this day was for both of us to enjoy. I just wanted to know what was upsetting you."

"Shizuru," Natsuki sighed as she slipped her hand out of the demon's grasp. "My job was at first to accompany you as you requested, and now it is to protect you. I can't afford to enjoy myself, but thanks for your concern."

Shizuru appeared to be saddened by her words as the tawny haired woman turned towards the animals they were supposed to be admiring, although her crimson eyes seemed to be seeing something else.

"Please, take this time with me to relax and forget about your worries. I don't know how long it will be until this peace is truly interrupted," the Amethyst Viper spoke ominously before locking her gaze onto Natsuki. "Think of it as your duty, if you must."

All Natsuki could do was nod and when Shizuru reached out for her hand once again, she didn't resist.

*****

They made their way around the zoo, the mood lightening as Natsuki decided to show more of an interest in their surroundings. She was pleasantly surprised at the amount of knowledge Shizuru had about the different animals and she found out that the heiress had an interest in wildlife.

When she asked why, she was told that demons had an animal form and the best way to know an opponent was to know the strengths and weaknesses of their animal, which Natsuki understood completely.

As the two ate ice cream that Natsuki bought from a nearby stall, the agent tried to remember the last time she had gone to the zoo. Her mother had still been alive then, so she guessed that she was probably around the age of nine. The thought never bothered her; she just idly wondered why she never came again until so much later on in her life.

Her attention flared up as she caught sight of the wolves' enclosure, jerking Shizuru along in such an awkward manner that the tawny haired woman almost lost her ice cream as she rushed towards it.

After receiving too many curious looks for the blue haired woman's liking, the pair had negotiated on linking arms instead to appear more like friends rather than a couple, although it didn't work too well either. Natsuki would have preferred to severe contact completely, but Shizuru easily won the argument when it seemed that she was going to burst into tears.

"Ara, my Natsuki is in a rush all of the sudden and I can barely keep up. What's the matter?" Shizuru asked before she spotted what had caused her friend's excitement. A small grin formed on her face as she poked the biker in her side. "So my Natsuki likes wolves, hmm? Interesting, very interesting."

"What do you mean 'interesting'? Of course I like wolves, they're awesome!" Natsuki exclaimed as her emerald eyes sparkled with childish glee.

"It's just that my Natsuki reminds me of a cute little wolf puppy," Shizuru remarked with an adoring smile. Natsuki blushed and snapped her gaze towards the enclosure, her face filled with wonder immediately. She began to point at individual wolves as she chattered enthusiastically, suggesting what each wolf's role was in the group of seven, three of which were puppies.

Shizuru nodded as she listened to the blue haired woman's rambling, but eventually she noticed that a couple with a little girl was also listening to Natsuki, as they were staring at her intently with amused looks on their faces. She surreptitiously leaned closer to them, making sure that she wasn't pulling on her friend at the same time.

"Sorry about my partner, she gets easily excitable around this time of month," she whispered loudly, causing Natsuki to splutter in shock and horror. The man nodded gravely in response as Shizuru dodged out the way from what would have been a sharp kick to the shin.

"I know exactly what you mean," he replied seriously with a gravely voice although his dark eyes shone with mischief, earning him a slap on the shoulder by the woman standing next to him, who was his wife judging by the ring adorned her finger.

"Keep that up and you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight!"

"Ouch! But honey, you know I didn't mean it!" He whimpered as he rubbed his 'injured' arm. Their daughter giggled at her parents' display before launching herself at her father. "Oomph! Now you're both picking on me!"

"You're so silly, Daddy. Can we see the tigers now? Please?" the girl begged, knowing that he couldn't resist the innocent blue eyes that were pinned on him. He chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Sure, if that's what Mommy wants."

"Of course, but how about we get some ice cream first?" the woman suggested with a smile, to which their daughter cheered. As they walked past Natsuki and Shizuru, the man gave them a wink as he snaked his arm around his wife's waist.

Shizuru couldn't help but feel a little envious as she watched the happy family leave. She wondered if she would survive the battles ahead to be able to share her life with Natsuki and if it would be as idyllic as she dreamed it would be.

She smiled as she thought about the beautiful agent that was only a couple of feet away from her. It was sometimes hard to believe that she had finally found Natsuki and even harder to believe that she was hers, although the biker didn't know it yet but that wouldn't be the case for long. Shizuru turned to face the woman of her affections to find that she was not at all happy, clearly shown by the scowl on her face.

"I can't believe you just said that! You have no idea when I have PMS, not that I get moody anyway, nor is it any of your business! And I can't believe that you lied and told them I was your girlfriend!"

"Ara, then I suppose the only way to reverse that lie is for my Natsuki to become my girlfriend," Shizuru replied simply, causing the blue haired woman to blush. If Natsuki hadn't known any better she would say that the demon was flirting with her.

"Idiot!"

"So Natsuki rejects me because she thinks I'm stupid? How could you be so mean?" Shizuru whimpered with a pout. She hugged Natsuki's arm, burying her head into her shoulder as she pretended to sob.

Natsuki rolled her eyes as she tilted her head away from the tawny haired woman. She did not want Shizuru to think that she fell for the same trick twice but the distressed sounds she was making still managed to pull on her heartstrings. She hesitantly patted Shizuru's head, causing ruby red eyes to peek up at her.

"Wipe those crocodile tears away; you know I don't think you're stupid. You're actually smart, sexy and dangerously cunning," Natsuki thoughtlessly cited. Shizuru's head snapped up and the blue haired agent realised what she said as she saw that smug excitement.

"You think I'm sexy?"

"...I think people find you attractive."

"But do _you_ think I'm sexy?"

"…You're the most embarrassing friend I've ever had," Natsuki replied, hoping that she'd distract the demon enough to dodge the question.

"I'm your friend?"

"…Yeah."

Shizuru let out a victory cry and glomped the blue haired woman, who turned even redder as everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at them. Shizuru grinned deviously as she saw that she embarrassed Natsuki and realised that she was quite addicted to the blush that often graced the agent's cheeks.

"Natsuki?"

"What?"

"As you're friend, will you give me your honest opinion on something?"

"Sure, as long as you let go of me."

"Do you think I'm sexy?"

"Aaaaaaggggghhhh!"


	8. The Shakai Kaji Cafe

**Shakai Kaji Café**

Author's Note: *Blinks* I'm past the one hundred mark with reviews already? Wahoo! Once again, I'm thanking all of you guys that are generous enough to review and encouraging me to keep writing. I've got to confess that I absolutely hate these last two chapters (hence it's taken me so long to update; I kept putting it off and then I couldn't log in to my account when I finally finished it :P) and will probably wipe them from my mind when I begin the next chapter, which will be a lot better (hopefully). I fear that I'm forming a horrible habit where I digress in an unstylish way that is no help to me what-so-ever.

BTW: It occurred to me that I haven't written down the meanings for the Japanese words I have used (graciously supplied by my Japanese dictionary, so if you happen to speak Japanese and I have written down the wrong word for the context or I have ordered it wrong, I apologise.), so for those who may be interested here they are.

Shakai Kaji: Social blaze

Shinogu (Shizuru's restaurant): Eclipse

Kirikizu (Mikoto's old sword): To cut/slash

**Disclaimer: PWNAGE!!!! – belongs to Sunrise and a certain song belongs to Donny Osmond.**

"Damn, I'm beat," Mikoto groaned as she flopped down onto a chair. "I can't believe that we have to search the entire city for a hybrid and her angelic lover, when Natsuki gets all the fun and gets to go to the zoo with the Amethyst Viper. I mean, why can't _I _go to the zoo whilst _Natsuki_ plays the detective?"

"Because if you weren't so bloody cat-like, you'd be nicknamed S.E.D.'s hound dog," Chie grunted as she sat down opposite her with Akira mimicking them, referring to Mikoto's special ability to control her magical energy input.

The black haired woman could choose how much magic she accepted into her body and specifically choose the host it's taken from, although her limit was still much lower than Natsuki's. Not only did it allow her to be worry-free about her energy intake, but she could also pick out specific auras. Because she could do this, she usually only accepted the magical energy of the worst known supernatural criminals so she could keep track of them, thus she wasn't able to identify Nao as a demon.

However, she was having troubles locating Alyssa and Miyu's aura and could only feel slight traces of where they had been. When Akira suggested that the strange duo had perhaps plane-jumped to heaven, they decided to take a break at their favourite eating place; the Shakai Kaji Café.

It was one of the most popular places to eat or hang out in Fuuka, as the café also served as a bar at night time and there was a stage area where bands could play or host a karaoke competition, which regularly happened. The café's good reputation was helped by the brilliant coffees, the superb food and the reasonable prices. At the moment, the restaurant was mainly residence for teenagers catching up on social events and people grabbing a late lunch.

The S.E.D. agents had snagged a table towards the back of the room near the counter, glad to relax from the boring yet tiring mission. Mikoto gave Chie a sour look as she rearranged herself so she was sitting properly in her chair. The brunette grinned and hid her head behind the menu as she examined it, although she already knew what she would order.

"Hi. Are you ready to order?" A tired but friendly voice asked. Chie looked up to see a young man with a boyish face and messy brown hair that that natural arranged itself into spikes. He was dressed in black trousers and a polo-neck that had Shakai Kaji Café written across his chest. His blue eyes were fixed on the note pad in front of him and it was likely that he hadn't paid any real attention to who his customers were.

"Long day Takumi?" She asked with her grin still on her face. He jolted in surprise and looked up, a slight blush accompanying the awkward smile that spread across face. Chie and Mikoto chuckled at the guy whilst Akira stared pointedly at the table.

"Oh, hey guys. Yeah, you could say that. The café has been busier than ever and Mai's been preoccupied because she's got Ryuu with her."

"Why don't you take a seat? Mai won't mind if it's for a couple of minutes," Mikoto suggested as she pulled out the seat next to her. Takumi shook his head and gestured around the room.

"No can do, Mikoto. I've still got orders to take and I finish in about an hour. Besides, Mai's pretty steamed and I don't need her to take her anger out on me, but I'll tell her you're here when I give in your order."

"Alright, then can I have Mai's ramen and a coke please," Mikoto exclaimed as an almost lusty look glazed her amber eyes. Although she was over her feelings for Mai, she still couldn't resist her cooking.

"I'll have the same but make the coke a latte," Chie smoothly said. Takumi turned his attention to Akira as he waited for her order. After a long moment where she didn't say anything and simply stared at the table, he tapped her shoulder to gain her attention.

"Akira-san, what are you having?"

"Erm… I'll have the ramen too," she quickly decided, her fairly deep voice shaking a little. Chie grinned behind her hand as Mikoto raised her eyebrows. It seemed that someone had a crush on a certain waiter.

"And what would you like to drink?" Takumi asked as he wrote down her order on his pad. Akira glanced at the ceiling as if the answer would be there.

"Water.

"Spring or glacial?"

"Does it matter? Water is water," Akira muttered as she shifted uncomfortably. Takumi gave her a nervous smile and nodded as he tucked his pen into the top of his notepad.

"I'm sorry, I was being a pest again, wasn't I?" Takumi sighed before changing into cheerful, upbeat tone that was obviously well-practised. "Well, thanks for dining at the Shakai Kaji Café and I hope you all enjoy your meal which will be ready in about ten minutes."

As soon as Takumi left Akira dropped her face into her hands and groaned. Chie and Mikoto left her like that for a few moments as they silently mouthed to each other. Chie held up three fingers and counted down before they simultaneously erupted into song.

"And they called it puppy looove, Oh I guess they'll never knooow, how a young heart really feeeeels," they managed sing rather badly before they burst into a fit of giggles. Akira glowered at them as she felt herself turn red.

"Shut up. I am not in love with Takumi."

"Oh, you so obviously are," the brown haired woman cackled as the taller agent opposite her nodded.

"Yeah, even I can see it. I was a bit surprised because I always thought that you were a lesbian…"

"What? How did I make you think that I was gay?" Akira uttered in disbelief as Mikoto gave a helpless shrug. Chie watched on curiously, having an idea where Mikoto got her assumption from but interested in what she was going to say.

"Well, you act a bit like a guy and you most of the time you end up disguising yourself as a guy for missions, not to mention you're a S.E.D. agent…"

"Okay," the ninja growled as her left eye twitched. "Number one; being a tom boy does not make you gay. Number two; I end up being disguised as a man because I'm unfortunate enough to have sort of figure that allows me to do so, thus I'm even harder to identify if I'm seen. Number three; how on Earth does being a S.E.D. agent make me a lesbian? We're _government agents_ for God's sake, not a _dating agency_."

"Well, if you haven't noticed, S.E.D. does have a lot of gay members. There's me and Chie for starters; Midori's dating Dr. Yohko Sagisawa; Natsuki says that she doesn't really like sex but prefers women; Agents Hiro Suyama and Daiki Koyazi have been together for-."

"Yes, yes, I get your point. But I'm not, okay? I'm perfectly straight."

"And you're in love with Takumi," Chie chirped, deciding to get back into conversation. Akira threw a napkin at her which bounced off of the older woman's head.

"You are both bit-."

"Kitty!"

"What the-? Oomph!" Mikoto felt a something large impact with her stomach and land on her lap. She looked down to find a young boy with orange spiky hair grinning up at her, his violet eyes shining with mischief. "Ryuu! How's my main man?"

"I'm okay. I've been protecting Mommy like you said, Aunty Kitty!"

"Good boy," Mikoto praised as she patted his head.

"I should have known that it was you who got that into his head," Mai declared as she stood next to her table with her hands on her hips where her apron was slung over a similar outfit that Takumi wore. She was a busty woman with shoulder-length orange hair and was often seen with a smile on her face, yet at this moment it was replaced with a scowl. She narrowed her purple eyes at Mikoto as she leaned over and poked her in the chest.

"Because of you, Mikoto Minagi, Ryuu has been a pain in the butt for me and his father. He refuses to go to bed at night saying that he has to protect me and when Yuuichi tried to take him to his room Ryuu bit him on his arm."

"But I was only doing what Aunty Kitty told me too!"

"Oh."

Mikoto hadn't meant to cause problems for Mai, but she wasn't exactly sympathetic for Tate. While her feelings of love for Mai had long gone, she had never really gotten on with the man and still got annoyed when she saw him simply because of his presence.

However, when Mai got a murderous glint in her eyes, she decided that she'd better say something to her friend's son and cleared her throat.

"Ryuu, listen to me buddy. When I told you to protect your Mommy, I didn't mean to protect her from your Dad. I just meant that when it's just the two of you, make sure she's alright and if she gets into trouble with any strange men, you call me straight away and don't try to fight them. Do you understand?" she instructed him with a gentle voice.

The boy nodded, happy that she hadn't scolded him like his parents would have but disappointed that he had acted wrongly on his favourite aunt's instructions.

Mai smiled, glad that the source of Ryuu's bad behaviour had put a stop to any more 'protective' acts. She grabbed a nearby chair and joined them at the table, deciding that it was time to take a break while her employees worked in the kitchens.

"So Mai, how's it going apart from the little man's tirades?" Chie inquired, glancing at the four-year old boy that was wriggling in Mikoto's lap and giggling as she tickled him relentlessly. Mai pushed her hair back behind her ears as she gave a nod.

"It's been stressful but business has never been better. Yuuichi's expecting a promotion so we'll be able to pay off the mortgage soon and we're going to go on holiday in Kyoto during the Christmas holidays."

"So you're going to be away from home for Christmas? That's not like you," Mikoto stated with a raised eyebrow, giving Ryuu a rest as she paused her tickling attack.

"No, we'll be home for Christmas day. Would you like to join us?" Mai asked with a smile, thinking that she knew the answer. Mikoto was usually invited around for Christmas to spend the day with Mai and Ryuu (and Tate), which easily defeated the prospect of being sat at home bored watching TV with a microwave meal, so Mikoto always accepted. But this year was different.

"I'm sorry Mai, but I can't this year. Me and Nao are going to spend Christmas together." Mai raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had forgotten about Mikoto's girlfriend.

"You can still come around for a few hours. Nao as well, of course," The orange top sniffed as she pointedly looked at her son. A small smile grew on Mikoto's face as she nodded. How could she disappoint her god-son?

"Mm, thanks Mai."

Takumi appeared carrying the agents' drinks and food on a tray. He set the dishes of ramen and drinks before the agents, noticing what Akira was wearing as he did so.

"That's a cool top," he stated, nodding towards her. She blushed and gave a small smile; the black t-shirt with Yoda on it was her favourite. She was a major sci-fi fan and the Star Wars series was her favourite films of all time, only rivalling with her love of the Muppets.

The young man returned her smile before continuing his work, allowing Chie and Mikoto to resume their taunting smirks. Mai raised her eyebrows before a conniving grin spread across her face.

"I never knew that you and Takumi were interested in each other."

"I'm not… wait, what do you mean 'each other'?" Akira sent a puzzled look to the orange top, her chopsticks poised perfectly still over the bowl of ramen.

"Well it's quite obvious that he's interested in you as you are him – and don't say you're not! I know love when I see it!"

Chie sniggered at Akira's horrified expression while the black haired S.E.D. agent rolled her eyes at Mai's declaration; Mai never knew about Mikoto's feelings. The green haired woman shook her head frantically, trying to dispel the claims that were being aimed at her although her flushed face proved otherwise.

The group of friends continued to tease Akira before slipping into idle chatter, which mainly consisted of Mai and Chie recounting the latest gossip. Ryuu had been transferred to Mai's lap as the agent's ate their meal and the boy was driving his mother crazy with his constant fidgeting.

"Mai, I'm just going out so-." A man's voice interrupted their conversation. Everyone turned to find Tate standing nearby with a brief case tucked underneath his arm. As Mikoto met his brown eyes with her own, she could swear that she saw panic shining in those dark orbs.

He shifted his grip on the briefcase he held and gulped nervously. The tie that he wore with his crisp business suit suddenly felt very tight.

"Honey, are you alright?" Mai asked him, her eyebrows furrowing in concern for her husband. He appeared paler than usual and a bead of sweat was forming on his forehead.

"…Yeah. Everything is fine. Perfect. I'll see you later," Tate clamoured before speeding out of the café, leaving puzzled eyes to remain fixed on the space where he had occupied a few moments ago.

"Mommy, what's wrong with dad?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out as soon as he comes back," Mai replied, stroking her son's unruly hair absent-mindedly. Tate had been acting strange lately, but she had put it down to stress from work. However, her husband's display convinced her that she had to confront him and soon.

Mikoto abruptly stood up and began to follow him. He was disturbed to see that she and her fellow S.E.D. agents were there under a circumstance that should faze him at all, so he must be involved in something that he shouldn't be. With all of the events concerning Hell and the Amethyst Viper, she couldn't afford to wait. She had to know the reason for his behaviour now.

"Hey! Mikoto! Where are you going?"

"We need to get- ugh!" Mikoto dropped to her knees. She cradled her head in her hands as pain seared in her brain. A familiar aura smothered her senses and she knew who her attacker was.

"Aunty Kitty!"

"Mikoto!"

The simultaneous cries managed to filter through the agony and she was vaguely aware that she was screaming. When the pain began to fade she became aware of the hands that were supporting her and rubbing calming circles on her back. She opened her eyes to see her friends gathered around her and it almost broke her heart to see Ryuu's frightened eyes full of tears.

"Mikoto, are you okay? What happened?" Mai cried, her voice shaking with worry. Mikoto flashed a reassuring smile to her before stumbling onto her feet, ignoring the stares she received from the other patrons of the café.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," she grunted before fixing her gaze onto her concerned colleagues. "We need to go. They're back."

"Did they do that to you?"

"Yeah. They must have somehow stored all their energy before releasing it all through their aura. They must know that we're tracking them."

"Too many impossible things have been happening lately," Chie muttered grimly before shaking her head and speaking loud enough to be heard. "Well if they want to be found, we have no choice but to find them. Do you know where they are?"

Mikoto nodded.

"Wait one moment here. Aura? Tracking? What the Hell are you guys talking about?" Mai demanded, her eyes searching for the answer in their faces. Mai wasn't aware of the real job her friends did for a living. She knew that they worked for some law enforcement within the government, but she automatically assumed that they dealt with humans.

Mikoto grabbed her long cylinder box that she had leant against the wall and slung it over her shoulder. She'll have to deal with Tate later.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going hunting."

*****

The black door opened and Tate hastily entered the car to sit on the backseat. His nose wrinkled at the pungent smell of tobacco that filled the interior and found himself wishing that he could get back out immediately.

"You're late, Tate." A deep voice drawled next to him. Tate turned to see a man reclining on the seat next to him with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He wore a dark brown silk shirt that was tucked into his black trousers and dark sunglasses that covered his eyes. His spiky black hair was covered in so much gel that it seemed plastic and the air the man emanated was egotistical and vain.

"I hope you have the package, or else the boss isn't going to be happy one bit," the man continued before taking another drag. Tate nodded and hurriedly reached into the bag. Tate produced a well-wrapped bundle and offered it to the owner of the car, but he made no move to take it. Instead he flicked an envelope onto the blonde haired man's lap.

"Deliver the package to this address and don't make any mistakes."

"O-okay." Tate pocketed the envelope and placed his hand on the handle, ready to leave the car.

"And Tate, one more thing," Tate turned to find dark eyes glaring at him over the sunglasses. "If you give any indication to S.E.D. about what we're doing, your brother won't be the only one who will pay for the consequences. I'm sure you know what I'm saying, family man."

Tate's hand began to shake violently as the dark brown eyes turned a tarnished gold colour and the cruel mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs. He shouldered open the car door and fell out onto the tarmac, retching as he crawled to the side of the alley.

Inside the car, the demon threw his head back and gave out a throaty laugh until he began to choke on the cigarette smoke.

"Was that really necessary, Takeda?" The woman in the driver's seat glumly asked. A scar ran from her temple to the middle of her jaw and long brown hair hung loose around her face. Although she was only in her mid-twenties her blue eyes spoke of the countless acts of cruelty she had seen and suffered. The simple jeans and sweater she wore were dark and worn, coincidently reflecting the way she thought about her life.

Takeda narrowed his eyes and growled as he kicked the back of the car seat. She winced as the blow landed in her lower back and added another bruise to hr already battered body.

"Just shut up and drive. I swear I should have just killed you and that fucking dyke."

Aoi sighed as she turned on the ignition. She was beginning to wish he had.


	9. Happy Hunting

**Happy Hunting**

Author's Note: Hehe, this update is a lot quicker than the last. Thanks for the reviews; it lets me know that people are still interested in this story even though I hadn't updated in _ages_. It also lets me know that deciding to do a chapter without any ShizNat at all is potentially dangerous XD. (The majority of us need to go to rehab to wean ourselves off of our ShizNat addiction. Yeah, even me. :P) But saying that, they weren't supposed to be in this chapter either. However, there is a little gift for all you addicts at the end, so no skipping through the dramatic action stuff!

**Disclaimer: Yeah, like I'm rich enough to own my own studios and make an anime. But I do own the first poem/song thingy.**

"Are you sure this is the place?" Akira studied the building in front of her, chewing her lip in doubt. The aura of Alyssa and Miyu had led them to an old Western-style opera house which looked like it had been abandoned for years. Mikoto nodded and approached the peeling red door of the establishment, not expecting it to open as easily as it did when she pushed against it.

"This reminds me of one of those creepy horror films. Does anyone else think we should call for back-up?" Chie suggested uneasily as she crossed her arms nervously over her chest. Mikoto looked back over her shoulder at the brunette with a bemused expression.

"No. We're the strongest agents in S.E.D.; why would we need back-up?"

"But they always say that in the movies! And then the next time you see them they're in pieces!"

"That's why you have a gun. You're supposed to shoot the bad guys with it," Mikoto pointed out as she drew her Glock 37. and waved it around so Chie could clearly see it.

"Aww, I was hoping that you'd say you'd protect me," the brunette huffed with a pout which quickly faded into a grin. Mikoto rolled her eyes at the flirty response and escaped from view into the building. Chie quickly grabbed her M9 Berretta and followed her, leaving Akira standing outside shaking her head.

"Maybe I should just quit? Quit and be an artist. Yeah, that'd be nice…" she muttered before disappearing into the darkness of the opera house. It was obvious to them all that they were walking into a trap.

They wandered through the dark corridors as performers grinned at them from the old posters that were peeling from the walls, weapons poised ready to take on any nasty surprises that were bound to jump out of them.

They halted when music drifted into their ears, the mournful tune beckoning them further into the building. Mikoto recognised that one of the instruments was a piano, but had trouble identifying the other.

"Is that supposed to be a violin?" She mumbled with a frown, raising her gun slightly. Chie shook her head.

"No. It's a cello."

They ventured forwards, using the melody as a guide. The music was rising in tempo so that the mood of the sound turned from sorrowful to angry and soon a hauntingly beautiful soprano voice joined the instruments.

_You think I'm crazy_

_And twisted too_

_But what you can't see_

_Is that it's because of you_

_You've taken every damn thing_

_That was supposed to be mine_

_Now listen to the words I sing_

'_Cos it's my time to cross the line_

_-  
_

_Break for me little sister_

_That's all you're good for_

_Bleed for me little sister_

_And make me pure_

_Die for me little sister_

_I'm not asking for more_

The words caused shivers to go up all of the agent's spines, but Chie's stomach knotted in fear. She recognised the voice to be Alyssa and she instantly knew that the song was dedicated to Natsuki. Whether the two were actually sisters was a question that had yet to be answered, but Alyssa seemed to firmly believe it. And she wanted Natsuki dead.

They turned around the corner to see a set of double doors at the end of a corridor, weakly illuminated by the weak light that was streaming through the port-hole windows that were inserted in them. The volume of the music was quite loud here and they knew that it was coming from behind those doors. They had found them.

_I remember the good days_

_But they were all just lies_

_Because when Daddy ran away_

_All he left me was the colour of his eyes_

_As he went to fuck his lover_

_Yeah, now you're there_

_It was your whore of a mother_

_Do you really think that's fair?_

_-  
_

_Break for me little sister_

_That's all you're good for_

_Bleed for me little sister_

_And make me pure_

_Die for me little sister_

_I'm not asking for more_

The music blasted at them as they entered the room and it was so loud that they thought their ear drums were about to burst. They were standing at the back of the auditorium with rows of stained red chairs stretched out in front of them, all of which were facing the stage where two figures were stationed.

Alyssa stood at the centre of the stage with her eyes closed as she sang into the microphone that she was holding, her free hand clenching and waving with the music occasionally. She was wearing a simple white dress that made her appear to be the epitome of innocence as she was illuminated by a spotlight that was focused on her, although the room was already brightly lit.

Miyu was sitting on the edge of the stage with one leg bent so she could rest her arm on top as her other leg dangled of the platform, her body appearing to be completely relaxed. Her gaze was fixed on the singing hybrid as she wore a rueful expression, but she seemed to be enjoying her lover's performance.

Behind them a piano and cello appeared to be playing of their own accord, but the S.E.D. agents correctly assumed that they were being controlled by the performer on the stage. The tempo dramatically changed once again so that the music was almost chaotically fast as Alyssa began to scream.

_So bleed and beg and crawl_

_It's your turn for the part of the fool_

_I'll slash and slice and dice_

_Before I bathe in blood and ice_

_This impurity is burning me!_

_Break for me little sister_

_-  
_

_That's all you're good for_

_Bleed for me little sister_

_And make me pure_

_Die for me little sister_

_I'm not asking for more_

The song stopped abruptly as the last word escaped the hybrid's mouth, leaving the room in silence apart from Alyssa's heavy panting that was amplified through the microphone. A giggle escaped her lips before she staggered a few steps to retrieve a bottle of water that was on the floor nearby, flashing the S.E.D. agents a smile as she did so.

Mikoto and Akira glanced at each other in confusion; why did Alyssa continue to sing if she knew they were there? Chie gripped her gun tighter. Even though she had had limited interaction with the blonde woman, she supposed that Alyssa didn't do anything without a good reason for it, no matter how twisted it may be.

"Ah! Izumi Hallard! I was wondering when I'd see your handsome face again!" Alyssa's cheerful voice boomed around the auditorium, using the microphone to speak to the agents without shouting. She smirked as her tone darkened. "Or would you prefer me to call you Agent Chie Harada?"

Chie gasped in surprise before a troubled frown appeared on her face. How did they find out her true identity? Alyssa snickered before her eyes moved their focus onto her colleagues.

"And I see that you've brought some friends with you. How nice! I wonder if- oh. I see that Natsuki-chan isn't with you," she pouted as her voice clearly portrayed her disappointment. She cocked her head to the side before giving out a triumphant cry. "I know! She's in the building somewhere ready to ambush me! Oh, I do love games!"

She began to scan around the room, making sure she didn't overlook any shadows. Akira frowned as Mikoto put her hand on Chie's shoulder.

"What does she want with Natsuki?" the tall agent whispered. Her eyes widened as Chie shrugged her grip off her shoulder. "You know something, don't you?"

"Agent Kuga isn't here, so don't bother looking. She didn't give a damn about your message," Chie yelled to Alyssa, ignoring the questions aimed at her. Alyssa's face fell and glared at Chie so coldly that the brunette was almost fully persuaded that the hybrid was indeed Natsuki's sister.

"Is that so?" she mused after a tense pause. Chie shuddered as she remembered that was what the girl had said before she was tortured the last time they had met. "Then it looks like we have a problem that will cause distress for both of us. You see, I was so hoping that Natsuki and I could settle things once and for all today, but since she's not here I feel much abused. And very angry. Your death will have to do for compensation for this delay. Goodbye, Agent Hallard."

Without warning, the rows of chairs began to roll away from the stage, chunks of concrete attached to them from where the chairs were bolted to the floor, forming a gigantic red wave that was prepared to crush the Agents.

"Run!" Akira yelled as she began to sprint towards the entrance, soon followed by Chie and Mikoto. The green haired woman managed to hold in check her urge to use her powers to make her move incredibly fast which she was known for; she refused to leave her friends to die. The ground trembled as the furniture gained ground and it seemed like they were going to be consumed by the supernatural wave when a gun shot rang out.

The wave crumbled and lost momentum, although Mikoto still had to leap out of the way to avoid getting crushed by a particularly large slab of concrete. Once the danger was clearly over, the agents halted and looked back towards the stage, panting gently.

Alyssa had a grin on her face as she looked up at one of the boxes that were carved into the wall of the auditorium, whilst Miyu hadn't moved an inch since they first entered the auditorium, her gaze still fixed on the blonde. Directly in front of the singer hovered a bullet that had stopped a couple of meters away, suspended in mid-air by an unseen force.

"Aha! I knew you'd show up sooner or later! But you really must be more careful with those things you play with. If it wasn't for Miyu, you would have killed me."

"That was the point."

Two figures emerged from the shadows of the box and leapt onto the balcony. They were both obviously female even if their faces weren't left uncovered, as the white and violet Kevlar suits they were wearing showed off the curves of their bodies. They were both carrying SIG 550 rifles whilst pistols rested in the belts slung around their waists.

One was slightly shorter than the other and unlike the other woman she had a scimitar on her belt. She had short blonde hair and jade green eyes, whilst her face was set in determined concentration. She gripped the rifle a little too tightly, as if it was about to be wrenched out of her hands at any moment.

The other was far more relaxed as she propped her own rifle on her shoulder, stoically staring down at Alyssa with violently orange eyes. Her hair was a shade of dark blue and was tied into bunches with two plaits coming down underneath.

"Oh Nina-san, why are you always so cruel to me? You never send me a Christmas card and now you're trying to shoot me. I thought that you and Daddy were friends; surely you can share that sentiment with his daughter?"

"Not when you're trying to kill his other daughter. Besides, we've never received a card from you either," the dark haired woman called Nina replied curtly, to which Alyssa began to giggle.

Akira sent a bewildered look to Chie as she realised that the other child they were talking about was Natsuki, as the brunette simply watched listened to the conversation un-flinchingly. Mikoto was frowning as she still hadn't reached the same realisation that Akira had.

"You haven't changed at all! You always did prefer to get straight to business without a chat. I suppose that I'm boring you right now, hmm? Well, you can have another go at killing me when I've asked one more question. Is my little sister with the bitch that sent you?"

"Alyssa-chan, please stop this madness," Erstin, the blonde woman, pleaded with her soft voice. "She's your sister. Can't you just make amends with her and live in peace? If you don't stop what you're doing, then Nina and I will have no choice but to stop you, for the Amethyst Viper _and _for Natsuki's sake."

Erstin's words did not have the desired effect. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Alyssa gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as rage seethed through her body. She threw her head back and began to scream as Mikoto came to understand the truth just like Akira did moments before.

"Why the fuck is _she_ always everyone's favourite?!"

Alyssa's eyes turned grey as the walls began to shake. Fixtures from around the room were torn from the walls, ceiling and floor to whirl around the centre. A sudden gust of wind followed the motion of the objects, creating a small hurricane that threatened to drag the humans and demons inside.

Both the S.E.D. agents and the Fangs opened fire but were dismayed to see the bullets and shurikens freeze at the same point as the first bullet that was fired. They quickly assessed that Miyu had created a force field to stop their weapons from getting through.

"You've got some explaining to do when this is all over!" Mikoto shouted over the gun fire and wind to Chie, who was doing her best not to fall over. The brunette glanced at the younger agent and focused on the box that was strapped on her back.

"Mikoto, I will but you're the only one who can get us out of this alive! Your sword is the only thing we have that can break the barrier! We'll cover you!" she yelled back. Mikoto gave a quick nod and slid her gun back into her holster.

She managed to back up a few steps so that she could use a nearby pillar for cover as she slid the strap of the case over her head. With a quick flick of her wrist she opened the case and quickly pulled out the sword, the demonic energy coursing through it as it sensed the power flowing through the auditorium. Mikoto swore as the case slipped through her hands and joined the hurricane; it had been ridiculously expensive.

Putting her loss behind her, she sprang out from behind the pillar and used the pull of the hurricane to propel her closer to the stage while she gathered momentum. As she got closer to the whirl wind she felt her legs begin to disobey her and she fell to the floor. As she clung to the grooves under her, she managed to look up to see that Miyu was staring directly at her with snow white eyes.

A growl emanated from her throat as the hurricane swept over her, her fingers aching as she was lifted up into the air, her only anchor to the floor was the one hand that was slowly slipping away from the metal bar that was set into the concrete.

She blinked as arms encircled her and wrenched her away, carrying her to safety at an almost impossible speed. She initially assumed that it was Akira that had saved her, but the fact that her feet was hovering off the floor and the abnormal rocking motion informed her that it wasn't.

Mikoto squirmed as she realised that it was one of the demons that was tightly holding her around her waist. The demon darted around the corner of the stage and gently placed Mikoto onto her feet. The black haired woman spun around to face her saviour and calmly recognised it to be the blonde, although normal people would have screamed in fear.

Erstin had transformed into her mutated form and the quickest thing to describe her would be a centaur, but that would leave out the details that made her look horrifying.

The Kevlar suit had split at the bottom where her lower half had transformed into the still-forming body of a palomino horse, allowing Mikoto an unconcealed view of muscle and bone. White spines protruded from her knee caps and outer arms as sparks of electricity crackled with every swish of her tail. Jade eyes had turned to gold whilst her ears had lengthened and pointed.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Mikoto noted that the blonde's voice was still soft, although her teeth had acquired razor sharp points.

"I'm fine. Thanks for helping me…uh-."

"Erstin," she said with a smile that quickly lost its warmth. "We don't have much time. I've brought you this far; the rest is up to you."

Mikoto realised that the demons were carrying normal weapons and couldn't break the barrier either. Without a word she sped off and as she neared the stage she began to tense her muscles, preparing for the spring she was about to make. Releasing all of the magical energy she could, she jumped up eight feet into the air and time seemed to slow as she soared towards the barrier.

The wind seemed to get stronger. A bullet grazed her sword arm. She could see Miyu pointing a gun at her, ready to shoot again. Alyssa stood next to her with wide eyes. She gave a pain-filled grin as she pulled her sword back. The satisfying crunch sounded like music to her ears as she slashed through the invisible wall. Cracks seemingly formed in mid air before the wall crumbled. She had done it.

Miyu grasped her head and groaned, swaying dangerously as her world began to spin. Mikoto smirked, remembering the pain she had gone through just over an hour ago.

"Payback's a bitch," She declared triumphantly to the angel. Seeing Miyu's distress, Alyssa wrapped an arm around her lover's waist and beamed at Mikoto, as if they were a couple inviting an old friend into their home.

"How spectacular! But then I wouldn't expect any less from a S.E.D. agent. I suppose it's time to actually start playing this game."

"Huh?" Mikoto grunted before the sword she was holding swept towards her head. If it wasn't for her quick reflexes and caught her arm with her other hand, she would have been beheaded. She struggled with herself as her sword inched closer, the sword uncomfortably close to her neck.

She lowered herself onto her knees, focusing all of her energy on regaining the control of her sword arm without killing herself in the process. The corner of Miyu's mouth quirked up into a small smile at the agent's predicament and began to focus on deflecting the bullets that were flying towards them.

An animalistic growl announced the presence of another combatant on the stage. Alyssa felt a smile spread across her face when she saw who it was and allowed the whirlwind to die down. Nina had also changed into her mutated form; the midnight blue fur and cat-like features claiming her animal to be a panther.

She stood on powerful hind legs and was much taller than her human form, the extra height making appear all the more threatening. Clawed fingers flexed in anticipation and saliva dripped from her fangs as her orangey-gold eyes glowed with malevolence. Silver chains that wove their way in and out of her flesh pulsed in time to her heart, clinking together whenever she moved even though they were coated with her blood.

"Oh Nina-chan, you've committed some sins since the last time I've seen you," Alyssa speculated as she took in the demon's form, slipping her arm away from Miyu, who had fully regained her balance. Nina laughed before replying, her voice more guttural than it previously was.

"If I'm a sinner, then I'd love to see what you look like, Alyssa-_chan_." Alyssa's face grew red with anger at the taunt. She whipped the water bottle in hand towards the demon, making sure that the water entered the air in stream with her power. She narrowed her eyes as the water froze into a large icicle and pushed it forwards, causing it to go faster than it already was.

Nina tried to move out of the way, but the icicle impaled her just below the rib cage. She roared as she flew back from the impact, landing in a messy heap in front of the stage. She lay still for a moment and could hear Erstin yelling her name. After a short coughing spell, she laughed weakly.

"Is that all you got? Pathetic. You're sister surpasses you already," the fallen demon sneered. Alyssa snorted as she looked down at her, ignoring the bullets that were whizzing past her head.

"Me? Pathetic? You won't be saying that when you're dead. In fact, you won't be saying anything at all!" The icicle jerked itself out of Nina's body and hovered in the air for a moment before plunging towards the panther-demon's chest. Before the pointed tip entered flash, a fiery paw swiped at it, cutting it into four melting shards.

"This is not my day to die. It's yours," Nina declared before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and passed out. She was completely drained after creating the fire and controlling it so it didn't burn her while she had an injury.

Erstin and Akira seemingly appeared out of nowhere behind Alyssa's back. Erstin was preparing to strike with her scimitar whilst Akira was brandishing her kunai. They both lunged at the same time, Erstin's blade racing towards Alyssa's head as Akira's kunai travelled towards the small of her back.

Miyu released her hold over Mikoto as she dived in between the attackers and her lover, the skin of her fore arm falling of in curled strips to reveal a blade. She managed to deflect Erstin's scimitar but the position she was in left her unable to parry the kunai in time, so she let instinct take over and did the only thing she could do. She stepped to the side and grunted as the metal impaled her in her abdomen.

Akira was surprised at the angel's actions but she was not one to miss an opportunity. She gave a sharp vertical tug on the kunai, disembowelling the pink eyed woman before removing her weapon from her body. Miyu allowed herself to let out a whimper as she placed her hand over the wound, desperately trying to make sure that her insides weren't going to spill out of her.

Alyssa heard the sounds and widened her eyes in shock, her eyes reverting back to their original colour. She turned as Miyu's legs could no longer support her, managing to catch her before she hit the floor.

"Miyu?" Alyssa whispered as tears began to stream down her face, spotting the blood that had already soaked the clothes the angel was wearing. She snapped her head back up, her blue orbs smouldering with hate as she glared at Akira. "You'll pay for this, I swear."

"You're getting what you deserve Alyssa-chan," Erstin stated, her sweet voice now cold. She was worried about her unconscious wife and was now out for revenge. The blondes locked gazes, both sharing the same pain and eager to see the other dead.

Erstin reared up, kicking out her front legs as she threatened to trample the lovers as she raised her scimitar. Alyssa held out her hand and Erstin was pushed backwards, almost crushing Akira as she toppled over.

The hybrid closed her eyes and winced in pain as two blotchy grey wings sprouted from her back. Wrapping her arms tighter around Miyu, she jumped up and began to beat her wings. Staying aloft, she gave one last look at the Fangs and S.E.D. agents below her.

"You can't stop me. I will have both revenge and purity," she said in an unusually solemn voice. Chie began to open fire at the hybrid and Mikoto fumbled for her gun as the blonde broke through the ceiling after a forceful flap of wings. She was gone.

Erstin scrambled off the stage to get to Nina. The demon lay unmoving. Erstin quickly scooped her up in her arms and checked her pulse. She was still alive. She could see the shallow rise and fall of the demon's chest and knew that she had to get help immediately.

"Thanks for your help, S.E.D. agents. We'll meet again, I have no doubt about that," she yelled as she cantered towards the entrance.

"You too," Mikoto called back, but the horse-demon had already disappeared from sight. She flopped down onto the floor and lay on her back, too tired to worry about the dust that had begun to coat her. Chie and Akira approached her with the same weariness and sat down.

"Just another day at the office then," Chie remarked dryly, running a hand through her hair. "I need to learn how to use a weapon for close combat; I felt pretty useless when my bullets weren't hitting their targets."

"But don't you feel like that after every time you use a gun?" Mikoto joked earning a slap from the brunette. Akira chuckled and shook her head at her colleagues' antics but quickly became serious.

"What do you think Alyssa meant by 'I will have both revenge and purity'? Okay, the revenge part isn't exactly rocket science to work out, but the purity thing is harder to understand."

"Hmm, the ramblings of an insane mind? I don't know. Maybe things will be clearer to us if _someone_ tells us what they know." Mikoto narrowed her eyes and poked Chie, who offered a sheepish smile in return.

"Well, there's no time like the present."

*****

Nao let out a sigh. She was sprawled out on the couch with a glass of rosé wine in one hand and the television remote in the other. She aimlessly flicked through the muted channels, not really seeing nor caring what was on before turning it over to another station, as she was deep in thought.

It was getting late and she hadn't heard from either her girlfriend or the tawny-haired demon, not that it bothered her. On the contrary, she enjoyed the peacefulness of the house and relished these rare moments she had to herself, although many people would be surprised to hear that since she seemed to be the sort who hated the silence.

She was thinking about how different Shizuru was now that she'd found Natsuki. She was definitely happy and was allowing her mask to fall away, something that was an extremely rare occurrence but was to be expected. Ever since she first dreamt of Natsuki, Shizuru had been practically obsessed with her and Nao knew that she would do anything for the blue-haired woman.

Nao sipped her wine with a smirk as her thoughts led her to a memory of a sixteen-year old Shizuru and her need to see Natsuki outside her dreams.

*****

"_Ara! Why is this so difficult?" Shizuru yelled as she flung the screwed up piece of paper towards the bin on the other side of the room, bouncing off the side of the target to land on the floor beside it._

"_What are you trying to do anyway?" Nao asked in a bored voice as she filed her nails. The red-eyed girl had dragged her friend into her bedroom whilst muttering 'I need you to do something very important'. Nao had been sitting on Shizuru's bed for at least fifteen minutes while the demonic princess sat at her desk scribbling on a sketch pad, not knowing why she was there when the thirteen-year old could think of better things to do._

"_I'm drawing," the older girl replied simply. Nao howled with laughter and Shizuru sent the girl a dirty look. "I'm having trouble understanding what you find so funny, Nao-chan."_

"_You! Drawing! Hahahahahaha! You got kicked out of art class because you were so bad! The only things you can draw are snakes and they're not that good!" Shizuru cringed as she remembered her previous attempts at art but decided to ignore her friend. However, when her eye began to twitch as the red-head's vivacious laughter didn't seem like it'd be stopping any time soon she felt her patience snap._

"_Nao-chan, shut-up."_

_As commanded, Nao's jaw snapped shut without any hesitation and would not open again, white teeth narrowly missing the red-head's tongue. Scared and angry green eyes bore into Shizuru, who instantly regretted taking advantage of her power over the younger girl._

_The heiress had promised to Nao to ask to do things rather than command them after a prank had gone horribly wrong, almost killing someone in the process. She had quickly realised the responsibilities having a slave entailed._

"_Nao, you can speak. I'm sorry, that was stupid of me," Shizuru quickly released the girl from her silence._

"_Don't do that ever again! Jeez, I nearly had my tongue off," Nao whined as she rubbed her jaw. She rose up from the bed and strode over to the desk. "Why am I here anyway?"_

"_I wanted to try something involving our bond," Shizuru said enthusiastically. She hastily explained after seeing the hard look in Nao's eyes. "Ara, it's nothing bad! I just want to see if you could draw Natsuki for me if we used the magic that binds us."_

"_I should have known," Nao sighed as she shook her head. "Sorry Shizuru-chan, but I can't do it. I've never seen her so I don't know what she looks like. Besides, I'm not that good at drawing myself."_

"_That's why I'm going to command you to do it," Shizuru said in exasperation. Nao frowned. "Look, if it doesn't work, then you'll just stand there and do nothing. Can we just try it? Please?"_

"_Alright, let's do it. But if I end up stabbing myself with a pencil, it'll be your fault!" the red-head huffed as the older girl clapped her hands excitedly. After clearing her throat, Shizuru composed herself so that she looked utterly serious, but anticipation shone in those beautiful red eyes._

"_Nao-chan, draw Natsuki for me."_

_Nothing happened. Shizuru's excitement withered and began to slump as Nao waited for that unusual force to take over her body._

"_Oh well, it was worth a try. Thanks anyway Nao cha-," Shizuru halted when Nao lurched towards the desk and began drawing like a maniac. One would have thought that she was just drawing random lines at the speed she was doing it, but every line was concise and the lines soon merged to form a figure of a woman._

"_Ara, you're doing it!" she squealed._

_Twenty minutes later, Nao proudly held up the finished sketch of Natsuki. It depicted the young woman standing at the edge of a cliff wearing motorbike leathers, her hair being tousled in the wind as she held a katana by her side._

"_I never knew liked older women Shizuru-chan," Nao taunted as she handed the drawing over to the older girl, who held it delicately as if it would break in her grasp. Red eyes swept of the picture and absorbed every detail. She looked just like she did in her dream, except for the pose and the katana._

"_I'm about ten years older when I meet her. Thank you for this," Shizuru informed the other demon in a distracted voice as she tried to make out the markings on the katana. After tilting the paper slightly she realised that the largest marking was a wolf and the others to be kanji. She brought the paper closer to her eyes and gasped as she read what it said. "Duran."_

"_Huh?" Nao grunted, baffled by the shocked look on Shizuru's face._

"_She's…"_

"_She's what?"_

"_Impossible."_


	10. OMG! A ShizNat Chapter!

**OMG! A ShizNat Chapter!**

Author's Note: It's quite obvious that I couldn't think of a decent chapter title, but once I came up with it I quite liked it, even though it doesn't quite fit with the mood of the story. Anyway, I know that I've made a few mistakes in this story but I was wondering if anyone would like to Beta the future chapters, and I'm going to correct the mistakes in the early chapters when I have time. If so, just give me a shout (or a PM; people might think you've completely lost it if you just start yelling at the PC screen) and I'll get back to you. And could someone tell me of another good site to post fan fiction? FF .net has been a major pain in the ass in terms of connecting to the site lately. Okay, enough of my blabbering and on with the ShizNat action!

**Disclaimer: Haven't I made it obvious enough? I DON'T OWN THE CHARACTERS I'M USING!**

Shizuru gave a disappointed sigh as Natsuki turned the bike into the street she lived on. She snuggled closer to the biker and rested her head on her shoulder as she inhaled her scent, which was a mixture of leather, cologne and something that was very unique. She enjoyed riding the motorcycle with Natsuki, as it allowed her to keep contact without the blue haired woman trying to shrug her off.

It had turned out to be a very nice day; after freaking out Natsuki in the reptile house with her knowledge about snakes and having their faces painted, Natsuki had treated the heiress to a meal at a fast food joint.

Natsuki had wanted to take them else where, but Shizuru insisted that she wanted to see what all the fuss was about before she went back to Hell. The Amethyst Viper decided that the meal was mediocre and never to go there again, as she found that eating something that wasn't a sandwich with her hands was very off putting.

A small groan escaped her lips as she felt the vehicle stop and the sound of the engine cut off. Natsuki turned her head around and Shizuru could see that her eyebrow was clearly raised through the visor of her helmet.

"Erm, if you let go we can go inside, where it's warm," she suggested, purposely deciding to overlook the possibility that Shizuru was clinging to her because she liked hugging her, not because she was cold.

"That's okay. Natsuki will warm me up," she replied cheekily as her arms tightened around Natsuki's waist.

"Shizuru," the agent growled in exasperation as she tore off her helmet. "Let go of me. I'm freezing my butt off here."

"Ara, then I'd better make sure that we're both warm," Shizuru purred, pressing her whole body against the biker. Natsuki somehow managed to free herself from the Amethyst Viper's grip and vaulted awkwardly off the bike. Her cheeks turned redder than ever as she kept her gaze fixed on the ground, hardly believing what the heiress just did.

The blush-ophile giggled in delight as she dismounted the bike gracefully and removed the helmet so that tawny locks could fall free. Natsuki gulped as she caught the sight in her peripheral vision and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance to the tingling sensation that was tormented her skin. She could still feel Shizuru's heat against her back.

"Haven't you tortured me enough for today?"

"Ara? I have no idea what you mean," Shizuru's teased, her Kyoto-ben sounding especially sensational as pleasure filled the demon's heart. It seems that Natsuki's walls were falling quicker than she anticipated.

"Yeah, you do," the blue haired woman snapped as she abruptly turned in the direction of the door, only to be stopped by her friend's soft voice.

"Maybe I need some clarification."

"The face painting."

"Oh." Shizuru felt let down, as she was hoping for some sort of love confession or at least to have Natsuki admit her attraction, although the reminder of the named event did bring a small smile to Shizuru's lips.

*****

"Hell no."

"Ara, it's just a bit of fun."

"Over my dead body," Natsuki dead-panned, as she pulled hard against the hand that was towing her towards a stall, where a man was currently painting a child's face.

Shizuru chuckled as she wondered if kissing Natsuki would cause the blue haired woman to pass out long enough for the man to cover her face with art, not that Natsuki's face wasn't artistically beautiful enough already, but she decided to against it. She would have to get the agent to comply of her own free will if she truly wanted to gain her trust.

"Please? I've never had this done before and I'll feel less self-conscious if we both do it," Shizuru pleaded. She had her head tilted down so that she can peer at Natsuki through her eyelashes, her large red eyes begging the blue haired woman just to do this one _little_ thing.

Natsuki shifted uncomfortably. The look that the demon was giving her was similar to that of a kicked puppy and one of Natsuki's biggest weaknesses was dogs. She could feel her will-power draining away as every second passed.

"Fine," Natsuki finally sighed and got an armful of Shizuru as the heiress pounced on her. "But I'm not getting anything stupid done!"

"My Natsuki can have whatever she wants," the demon beamed as they continued to walk towards the stall, this time without any resistance.

The face painter had finished with his latest customer and sat back with a satisfied smile. He curiously watched the two women who were muttering to each other as they flicked through the pages of a face painting book, the tawny haired one nudging the other at certain pages to receive a scowl from the slightly shorter one, who appeared to be the sort to not give a zoo the time of day, let alone take interest in a stall such as this.

They turned to the next page and the man thought that he had read the darker woman wrong as a smile began to spread on her face, dazzling anyone who just happened to be looking at her with straight, pearly white teeth. Looks like it was his cue.

"Can I help you?" he called, summoning a relaxed yet helpful smile. Natsuki literally bounced to where he was sitting and he could have sworn that if she had a tail it would be wagging furiously. He gave an ironic smile when she showed him what she wanted. "Ah, the wolf. Good choice. It's one of my personal favourites."

"So you're good at it?" Natsuki asked excitedly as she sat down on the chair opposite him. He picked up a small tube of paint and flipped the lid off.

"Extremely," he bragged as he gave the woman a wink. He shivered as the temperature suddenly dropped and he looked around to see blood red eyes boring into him. Figuring out that the woman in front of him was taken and that appearing to flirt with her would be dangerous, he carried on with his job without saying another word.

"Natsuki, I'm just going into the shop. I won't be a minute," the tawny haired woman declared before disappearing into a nearby building before Natsuki had chance to say anything.

The lack of the Amethyst Viper's presence began to unnerve the agent, as she was supposed to be protecting her. She mentally swore as she strained her eyes to keep the door in her sight, ignoring the brush strokes that were patterning her face.

If anything happened to Shizuru while she was having such a childish thing done to her, she would never be able to forgive herself and would retire from S.E.D. immediately after she caught the bastard that hurt the heiress.

Realizing the panicked state she was in, she forced herself to calm down although she remained alert for danger. With a composed mind, she began to search for the reason of her reaction.

Of course her job was important and ensuring the Amethyst Viper's safety was her number one priority at the moment, but never had she felt such distress when she was safe-guarding a client who had left her sight. But then everything was different went it concerned Shizuru Fujino.

"She must mean a lot to you," the face-painter murmured, to which the blue haired woman's eye brows to shot up in surprise. At the close distance he was sitting, he had clearly seen her emotions on her face and how bright emerald eyes were filled with worry.

Natsuki's facial expression became perplexed as she wondered whether what the man said was true. Was she passing the boundaries of a working relationship already? True, she had called Shizuru her friend, but that was just to make the demon feel more comfortable. Wasn't it?

She continued to debate with herself as layers of grey, black and white paint covered her face, the colours masterfully applied to make her look like a wolf. The face-painter noticed her thoughtful expression and realised that the two women weren't as close as they seemed, which was odd. They looked so… right together.

"Ara, ara, my Natsuki looks so cute!" Shizuru exclaimed, grasping a paper bag in front of her with both hands. Natsuki glared at her angrily and the heiress could tell that she was in trouble, although she was mistaken for the reason. The man pulled his brush away from Natsuki's face and snapped shut the paint. "But Natsuki is!"

"I don't care about how I look, damn it! Don't go off again! How am I…?" Natsuki scolded, trailing off only because she couldn't announce that Shizuru had to be protected in front of others. She sighed as she shook her head. "Just don't do it again, please, Shizuru."

Shizuru repressed the frown that would have appeared on her face. She wasn't used to be treated like a child and knew fully well that she wasn't in any real need of protection, as she was more than capable of destroying any assailants that dared to face her. But this was the only way she could keep Natsuki safe from Alyssa and get close to her at the same time, so close that they would become inseparable. And Natsuki looked too adorable at this moment to protest against.

"I bought you a present!" Natsuki gave a hopeless smirk, noticing that Shizuru hadn't acknowledged what she had said, yet curious to see what the tawny haired woman had bought her.

Shizuru scampered around her body guard so that she was standing behind her. The demon requested for the mirror that the face-painter held limply in his hand, her tone sweet but her expression wary. Shizuru placed a finger on Natsuki's lips to silence the curious woman and handed her the reflective glass.

"Look in the mirror when I tell you to," she whispered hotly in her ear before dipping her hand into the paper bag with a rustle. She grinned at the sight of Natsuki's reddening neck as she raised the object up and placed it on top of the blue woman's head, quickly arranging the blue strands to fall the way she wanted. "Okay, you can look now."

Natsuki's jaw dropped as her reflection stared back at her. Shizuru had brought her a pair of grey wolfy ears on a hair band, the black plastic easily covered by her hair to make it look like they stayed there on their own accord. The ears went wonderfully with her face-paint and Natsuki was impressed with how good it looked.

The wolf woman felt torn between embarrassment and intense fondness of her new look. Her mature side knew that she looked extremely childish but the rest of her was thinking…

"This is so awesome!" she cried with thrilled eyes and grinned like a Cheshire cat (that was a wolf. Hmm.). Shizuru wound her arms around her shoulders and pulled the agent against her, her reflection showing that she too was smiling as she rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Ara, I'm glad you like it," she said in a velvety soft voice, sending chills down the Natsuki's spine. Natsuki stiffened, not used to the feelings she had whenever the demon touched her. Shizuru felt the tension in the blue haired woman's body and released her, her smile fading slightly. "Would Natsuki like to get up so I can have my turn now?"

"Sure." She scrambled off the seat and took a few steps away. She frowned as Shizuru stayed where she was with an expectant expression on her face. "What?"

"I want my face paint to be a surprise for my Natsuki."

The wolf woman raised a now-grey eyebrow as a foreboding emotion twisted in her gut. She was about to give a negative response when Shizuru began to look at her with sad eyes again. A small growl rumbled in her throat before she skulked off, acting very much like the animal she looked like.

She wandered over to the nearby crocodile enclosure where she could keep Shizuru in her sight but couldn't see what the demon was having done. She could feel curious glances aimed at her direction and began to get irritated as she leant against a post with her arms crossed.

After ten minutes and nearly getting into a fist-fight with a teenage boy who must have been dragged there by his parents, Natsuki marched back to the stall to find that Shizuru's face had just been finished, only to cry out in distress. Shizuru had a heart painted on her cheek that was wrapped in a banner that bore her name in fancy lettering.

"What's the matter? Did he spell your name wrong?" Shizuru inquired innocently as she saw the woman's wonderfully scarlet face, although her eyes sparkled with laughter. Natsuki would have screamed, but that would have simply embarrassed her further. Instead, she had to settle for a face-palm.

"Remind me to never leave you alone again," she groaned, the words muffled by her hand. Shizuru gave a sly smile as she removed the agent's hand away from her face so that she could stare into those emerald pools.

"With pleasure."

*****

"I thought you liked my surprise. You did, didn't you?" the demon pouted as she followed Natsuki into the house.

"Yeah," the woman replied, too tired to fight back or to bat away another tease that she would indubitably evoke. Shizuru was only slightly disappointed at being denied a chance to make her Natsuki blush again, but her reaction amused her just the same.

They pulled off their shoes by the entrance and Shizuru called out her house mate's name, who yelled back that she was in the lounge. Shizuru padded down the corridor so she could greet Nao properly but halted when she heard Natsuki's cell phone ring. The agent pulled the phone out of her pocket and gave Shizuru an apologetic smile as she looked at the caller ID.

"It's Chie. I'll see you in the minute," Natsuki stated. The tawny haired woman nodded as she continued on without her, understanding that the agent desired to be alone. The biker gave a small sigh of relief before flipping open phone. She really did hate people being around her when she was on the phone. "Kuga here."

"Hey Natsuki, it's Chie," the brunette replied apprehensively. "We've just had a run in with Searrs and… they want to kill you."

"Huh?" the blue-haired agent grunted in astonishment. She took a few seconds to process the information before speaking again, her tone bitter. "Do you know why? I thought the loon was under the impression that I was her sister."

"Err, she sang some creepy-assed song and kept going on about revenge and becoming pure. I think she's jealous of you."

"Me?" Natsuki snorted. "Why the hell would she jealous of me?"

"…Perhaps you should ask the Amethyst Viper."

"Shizuru? Why?"

"Because we weren't the only ones fighting them," Chie explained, somehow managing to keep her alarm in check. She had noticed Natsuki's defensive tone. "There were a couple of demons there who were also fighting against Searrs. They said that they were fighting for the Amethyst Viper and you. They also insisted that you were sisters."

"…Really. What else did you find out?" Natsuki's voice was dangerously low and Chie could easily envision the cold, murderous expression the agent was wearing.

"Well, Akira and Mikoto have kinda found out everything except for the punch bag, but I'm not sure we can keep this quiet anymore. Natsuki… Alyssa had elemental powers. It seemed like she had to have a source for them to work but-."

"What did you say?" Natsuki butted in, her voice perilously sharp. She knew what Chie had said but refused to believe it. Elemental powers? It was impossible. Angels couldn't have elemental powers, unless…

"She manipulated the elements around her. She created a hurricane and turned water into ice. It means that-."

"She's not part-human, part-angel like we assumed. She's part demon. And if she really is my sister then… then…" Natsuki summarised shakily, unable to continue as the lump in her throat constricted the words that were trying to escape. She felt sick. This was all too much.

"You've either got angelic or demonic blood in you. And the Amethyst Viper knows."


	11. Revelations

**Revelations**

Author's Note: Wow, so this is what angst looks like when I write it O_O. Hopefully this chapter will answer a lot of questions and clear up some people's questions. (Mainly: What the heck is Natsuki? The answer: An orange tree. Honestly :P.) On a lighter note, I went to the zoo last week and they had a face painting stall! Unfortunately, the face-painting was closed and there was no smiling Shizuru look-alike dragging around a scowling blue/black haired woman. Actually, on second thoughts that may have been a good thing; saves me from embarrassment and having to explain to my class-mates why I was attempting to glomp two random strangers who happen to be women XD.

BTW: A HUGE thank you to Silver Bluey san who was kind enough to beta for me :3. I shall be e-mailing you again with the next update! (Which will hopefully be soon.)

**Disclaimer: …I have a Nina Wang figurine standing on my bookcase. Does that count?**

"What the fuck do you think you're playing at?" Natsuki roared as she burst into the lounge, causing the two demons on the couch to visibly jump in surprise. She marched up to Shizuru and pointed an accusing finger at her. "What do you know about me? Huh? _What the fuck do you know about me?_ Who the fuck is Alyssa?"

"Natsuki… I-."

"Don't _Natsuki_ me! Just answer the fucking question!" the blue haired woman balled at the visibly shaken heiress. Wile Shizuru merely closed her mouth and looked at her with forlorn crimson eyes, Natsuki's rage exploded.

She reached out to physically shake the answers out of the Amethyst Viper, only to be stopped by thick webbing that had been wrapped around her wrists. Natsuki was yanked back and tripped over the glass table. She landed with a loud thud on the ground, pain racing around her upper back where the brunt of the impact had been based.

She snapped her head up to glare at Nao, who was had the other end of the webbing emerging from the palm of her hand. The red head's eyes had turned a luminous gold and her fingers up to her knuckles had hardened to form dark grey cuticle, whilst her nails had lengthened and sharpened into blood red claws.

"Calm down, mutt. You're being an idiot," she scolded in a haughty manner, causing Natsuki's blood to boil.

"I'll show you who's an idiot!" The agent bellowed, the webbing igniting at her words as her eyes turned a silvery metallic green.

Nao swore and quickly severed the webbing from her palm with her claws. Natsuki realized that she was in trouble and began to struggle with the sticky substance in panic, only to find that she was only getting herself further entangled.

Before Natsuki could be harmed or for the room to be set alight, Shizuru leapt up as her eyes turned the colour of lava and everything was doused in water, successfully extinguishing the flames. Everyone became still, so the only sounds were the dripping of and Natsuki's labored breathing.

Shizuru sighed and her eyes flared, creating a small ball of flame that hovered a couple of feet from the ground, its heat almost unbearably hot. The water began to move towards the fireball and as it neared the water evaporated. Natsuki could feel the water seep away from her body and was surprised to find that she was soon almost completely dry.

"Nao-chan," Shizuru spoke softly, her Kyoto-ben filled with weariness and trepidation. "Could you please leave me and Natsuki alone for a few hours? We have much we need to discuss."

"Have you completely lost it? What if-."

"Nao! Please leave!" the demonic princess snapped, her tone much more commanding.

After a moment's hesitation, the weaker demon nodded. She walked over to the woman on the floor to free her from the webbing before she reverted back to her human form, giving Natsuki a warning glance before leaving the room. Another few moments of silence lasted before the slamming of the front door could be heard.

Shizuru let out another sigh and flopped back onto the couch, allowing the ball of flame to go out as she did so. Natsuki rose up off the floor, brushing herself off as she did so. Although her anger was still there, she felt much calmer than she was and wasn't in the mood to start shouting again.

"Please, take a seat," Shizuru offered, her eyes back to their normal crimson colour and composing her face into her mask. She couldn't allow her emotions to express themselves too much, or else she'll risk losing the agent. Natsuki shook her head and folded her arms over her chest.

"No thanks. I'll stand."

"I see," she replied with an indifferent tone, crossing her legs as she talked, "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything that you know about me."

"Ara, your favorite colour is black and-."

"Don't fuck with me," Natsuki growled, baring her teeth in an animalistic way. "I'm not in the mood for games."

"I'm sorry. I let a bad habit get hold of me," the heiress apologized sincerely with a small smile. "What do you wish to know first?"

"Am I… am I Alyssa's sister?"

"Yes."

Natsuki's breath hitched in her throat at the simple answer. She couldn't tell what she was feeling at that moment; she guessed that she was either numb or being plagued by too many emotions that one could not dominate her consciousness. The chances of her remaining one hundred percent human fell drastically.

"…What is she?" Natsuki asked quietly, not ready to ask directly about herself. "Chie told me she used elemental powers."

"Ara, ara, as I think you may have already guessed, she's of both demonic and angelic blood."

"Yeah, so…" the agent prompted after a moment's silence. When Shizuru offered no further explanation, she ground her teeth in frustration, knowing that the demon wouldn't give away anymore details until she specifically asked for them. "Then what am I? Part demon? I don't know many angels that can freeze or set things on fire."

"Freeze? You've frozen something?" Shizuru inquired in surprise, only to be reminded of the question she was supposed to be answering as Natsuki glared at her. "Do you remember what I told you about Masuyo, the Silver Wolf?"

"Yeah, but has he got to do with anything?" Natsuki scowled.

"As I've told you before, after the treaty he married an angel called Aika but disappeared shortly afterwards, ten years to be exact-."

"Ten years is not a short amount of time," the agent said dryly.

"That would depend on the race," Shizuru contradicted with the same tone before continuing, "However, what I did not tell you was that before he disappeared he had a child. She grew up proud of her father and loved him dearly, as I have heard, so it broke her heart when he vanished just eight days shy of her ninth birthday. It upset her terribly but she vowed to become someone that Masuyo would be proud of. She joined the military ranks of heaven as soon as she had come of age and married her first love. Unfortunately, after consummating the marriage she began to have dreams about another woman, who was undeniably her soul mate," Shizuru paused to catch her breath before continuing, "She met this woman soon after, who was also an angel and tried her hardest to resist temptation. She lasted until she was at the pinnacle of her power, when she committed adultery with her soul mate before she completely lost her mind. After finding out about her infidelity, her first wife threatened to publicly announce her betrayal, which would result in public humiliation and execution. Masuyo's child's mind had become unstable after the strain of the pinnacle of power, so this declaration caused her to lose it completely."

"She murdered her wife and blamed it on a pair of demons, who just happen to be friends of her father's. Luckily, the accusations fell through but no one suspected the child of Masuyo, as her sudden decline in mental health was associated with her wife's death. She remarried, this time to the person she was meant to be with. But then a few years later, she found out that her father was still alive, married to a human woman with another daughter who would later inherit his prized sword, Duran."

"Duran…" Natsuki whispered in disbelief, staring at the demon with wide eyes. "So are you trying to tell me that Masuyo is my father? That Alyssa, who is my sister, murdered her first wife? And that I'm half human, quarter demon and quarter angel? This is all soooo fucked up."

Natsuki shook her head and began to pace, trying to make sense of what was going on in her mind. She couldn't simply accept what she had just been told, but she couldn't dispute it either, as she was almost certain that Shizuru wasn't making it all up and she had a niggling feeling that also told her that the heiress was speaking with integrity.

"As dismal as it all may sound, it is indeed the truth," Shizuru replied solemnly, wishing that she could give the distressed woman a hug. She hadn't meant for her to find out about all this so soon.

"Then how come I've only used demonic powers?"

"Actually, you used you're mental powers to push me out of the bathroom this morning," Shizuru concurred with a pang of sadness. That morning seemed so far away and she wondered if she had just lost Natsuki. The blue haired woman sent her a look of skepticism. "Just try it if you don't believe me."

Natsuki grunted and fixed her gaze onto the metal floor lamp in the room. She raised an eyebrow as she briefly wondered how she was supposed to move it with her mind, cynical that she could do it. With a shrug of her shoulders, she just willed it to move like she had seen on the movies.

The lamp began to shake and slowly ascended into the air. Natsuki stared at it incredulously as she tilted it one way and another to make sure that it was really her that was controlling it. Then the realization hit her and she released her hold over it, landing with a smash as the glass shade shattered on the floor.

"Damn…" was all Natsuki could say. After years of wondering who she was, she finally knew and wished that she could still entertain childish fantasies about being normal. She was having trouble deciding whether she was filled with emotion or completely empty; either way she felt chillingly numb. "How do you know all this?" Natsuki whipped around and flung her arms out wide. "Why do you know Alyssa's story so well? How do you know so much about me?"

"Various sources. The demons who got accused are good friends of mine and they told me all they knew about Alyssa, as I was interested in the Silver Wolf at the time."

"What about me?"

"Ara, ara," Shizuru muttered, looking uneasy for the first time since she started relaying Natsuki's family history. "I can't tell you that yet."

"Why not?" Natsuki snapped before her eyes narrowed. "I was right, wasn't I? You _are_ up to something. Why did you give me this necklace and why did you get me to spend this week with you?"

"I have never lied to you," Shizuru shot back, losing her composure slightly, "All I've ever wanted is to be with you. I have no other agenda and that necklace does exactly what I have said it does; nothing else."

"But that doesn't make any sense! Why go to all this trouble just to spend some time with me?" Natsuki retorted with a baffled frown.

Shizuru exhaled heavily as realized her mistake and felt relieved that the agent didn't recognize her romantic intentions. If she told Natsuki now that they were soul mates then there was a good chance that the blue haired woman wouldn't believe her or simply walk away.

"You are like no one else I've ever met before and I'm not talking about your heritage, but your personality. You can be so cold, yet there's something burning within you that I don't think anyone has ever seen, not even you perhaps." As Shizuru was talking, she had risen off of the couch and had come to stand in front of her soul mate. She caressed Natsuki's cold cheek, the agent flinching slightly at her touch. "I want to see what it is."

"I…" Natsuki breathed as gazed into the crimson eyes that were almost burning her with their intensity, not that she thought it would be a bad way to die. She mused how strange it was that it only took one touch from the heiress to dispel all negative emotions and would have happily remained like that for longer. However, Natsuki was a naturally stubborn person. She pulled out of Shizuru's grasp and began to move towards the door. "I have to go."

"What? Why?"

"Because you kept things from me, Shizuru," Natsuki irritably said as she was halted by the hand that had seized her wrist, still staring towards her desired destination. "Things that I should know. Were you even going to tell me?"

"Ara, do you distrust me so much because we didn't have this discussion sooner? Or is it because I am a demon?" Shizuru smiled morosely when Natsuki didn't answer. "Then I shall have to assume that it is the latter."

"What do you expect?!" Natsuki yelled as she whirled around to face her. "All my life I have been trying to find a way to avenge my mother who was savagely killed by one of _your_ kind when all I've ever really wanted is a normal life! Then when I begin to think that maybe I was wrong about demons, you tell me this! That I'm…I'm…"

Shizuru quickly pulled the woman into an embrace as she saw salty tears begin to roll down her face. Natsuki struggled at first, trying to fight both the tears and the hug, but she quickly let herself go, allowing herself to clutch onto the demon as her body shuddered with the force of the sobs. The agent couldn't remember the last time she'd cried like this, but she supposed that it must have been before her mother's death. Was this why she was crying so much?

She buried her face deep into Shizuru's neck, in desperate need of the comforting warmth that was being offered to her. Natsuki could feel one of the heiress's hands rub soothing circles on her back whilst the other stroked her hair, the digits running smoothly through cobalt blue locks.

For Shizuru, this action was bitter-sweet. She had always longed to hold Natsuki like this, but never did she want to see her in so much pain.

"I know that you're hurting, my Natsuki, but I promise you that we're not all like that demon that took your mother away from you," Shizuru said in a hushed, tender voice. "There is good and evil in every nation. Please let me show you that we're not monsters."

"Shi-Shizuru…" Natsuki clasped the tawny haired woman tighter, needing to feel normal again. Shizuru kissed her hair as she began to gently rock them, wishing that the path to happiness wasn't so bleak.

* * * * *

"Everything will be okay my love, I promise that they'll suffer for what they did to you," Alyssa crooned as she stroked the light blue hair as the angel lay back against her front. They were in an abnormally clean and tidy apartment, the orderliness only disrupted by the dark red trail that led to the blood stained bed that they sat on.

"I don't want revenge. I already have everything I want," Miyu replied weakly, to which the blonde frowned. They had managed to sew the gaping hole in her abdomen back together, but she had lost a lot of blood and her body was going through shock. Although she somehow managed to remain awake, she felt thoroughly exhausted.

"But they must be taught a lesson! They've screwed with our lives enough already and they can't keep getting away with it!"

"…You don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"That what we are doing is wrong," Miyu sighed and allowed her eyes to close, too tired to care if what she had said provoked her unpredictable lover's anger. There was a pause before Alyssa expelled a long, unsteady breath.

"Why is it wrong?" Alyssa questioned quietly, her voice shaking in the effort to control temper. "Everything that's happened to us is Natsuki-chan's fault. Daddy wouldn't have left me and we would have been together before…we wouldn't have had to…"

Alyssa voice cracked as she pulled Miyu's upper body closer to her. The pink-eyed woman winced in pain but said nothing, placing her hand on the arm that held her tightly to comfort her wife.

"Your father suffered the same fate that you did; he had to betray his family in order to survive. It took him sixty one years to find Saeko Kuga. His angelic blood was the only thing that kept him alive so long. Natsuki Kuga wasn't even born then."

"Are you turning against me…Miyu?" Alyssa asked solemnly, tightening her hold so that Miyu found it slightly difficult to breathe.

When Alyssa didn't ease her grip, the angel realized that the blonde was prepared to kill her if she 'betrayed' her. This hurt Miyu more than it scared her and she had to swallow the lump in her throat before she answered.

"I would gladly sacrifice my life for you. Hasn't tonight been testament to that?" she bitterly stated. Miyu felt Alyssa relax before she carried on speaking. "You're the only one that can make me feel. I was completely numb before you. We haven't come this far to give it all up now."

"You're right. We _have_ come too far just to let them get away with it. I'm glad that you still believe in me," Alyssa replied with a satisfied voice.

Miyu didn't respond either vocally or physically. All the angel felt was remorse. Remorse for what they were doing and for the obsession her wife held.

She knew that the hybrid was mad and would wonder late at night whilst Alyssa slept what really mattered to her lover. Now she knew the answer. Miyu wasn't talking about revenge but their relationship; the blonde had assumed otherwise, therefore showing what she prioritized most.

If a human had been in Miyu's position, then this would have been the time most would have said that they'd had enough and would have left. But Miyu was an angel and was fiercely devoted to her wife, even if she felt that Alyssa was no longer the same person she had originally fell for. She could not refuse her love nor neglect the bond that brings them so closely together as soul-mates.

"Alyssa?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Please sing to me."

"I'd be happy to," Alyssa said with a smile before complying to the request.

As she sang, Miyu felt increasingly lethargic as she listened to the twisted lullaby and knew that sleep would soon claim her. If only she could wake up to find a brighter day.

* * * * *

Ding-dong.

Mikoto frowned in the direction of the front door before going to answer it, dumping the towel she had been drying her hair with on the couch as she walked past.

"Who could that be this time of night?" she mumbled, her question answered as she opened her door to find one very pissed-off red head. "Nao, what the-?"

"If I suddenly keel over and die for no apparent reason, it's because that idiot Kuga has killed Shizuru-chan," Nao warned as she pushed past her girlfriend into the apartment.

Mikoto closed the door behind her and followed her into the lounge in time to see the red head crash onto the couch. The black haired woman crossed her arms as she leant against the door frame.

"Why would Natsuki try to harm Fujino-san? And why didn't you just call me if you thought your life was in danger?"

"I'm guessing you know about the whole Kuga and Searrs thing," the green eyed woman drawled, "Well, someone told Kuga and she flipped. I had to pull her back with my webbing before she could hurt Shizuru-chan and then she set the room on fire. I would have stayed but Shizuru-chan asked me to leave and there's no point in arguing with someone who can make you do whatever they want."

"Wait a minute," Mikoto instructed, holding up a hand. "What do you mean 'she set the room on fire'? And are you trying to tell me that Alyssa is actually Natsuki's sister?"

"Yeah. Kuga's a mix of all three races. Lucky her," Nao replied dryly as she examined her pristine nails. Mikoto's jaw dropped as she gawked at her girlfriend as if she had sprouted an extra head.

"…What? Are you trying to tell me that she's a hybrid too?"

"Well, duh! Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Why didn't you tell me before!?" Mikoto squeaked after a long moment. She was shocked by the revelation and could only imagine what Natsuki was going through. She also felt a bit miffed that Nao had kept this information from her and, more importantly, Natsuki herself.

"It's got nothing to do with us."

"But she's my friend! And I thought that we'd agreed no more secrets!"

"I _don't_ have any secrets. Shizuru-chan does," Nao pointed out, unable to resist curling the edges of her mouth to form a sly smile. Mikoto rolled her eyes at the demon's wit, who in turn giggled. "Come on, sit next to me."

"So I guess you're not going to tell me anything else, right?" the agent grunted, as she sat down on the couch, wrapping an arm around the red head who had catapulted herself onto her. She was never able to be angry with the seductive demon for very long.

"I can't. Not yet. Shizuru-chan will chase me around with her naginata if I say anything and she's so damn skilled with that thing."

"Hmph. I had a feeling you wouldn't tell me."

"That's because you know me so well," Nao purred, reaching up to pull Mikoto's head nearer so that their lips was only centimeters apart. "Hmm, since I'm here and I might die at any moment, how about we do something more… fun."

"Fun?" Mikoto struggled to keep the smirk off her face. "Nope. I haven't forgiven you yet."

"Well, how can you when you won't even let me apologize?"

"True, but I think that-."

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me," Nao ordered before pulling the agent into her lips. What happened next was the best apology Mikoto had ever received.

* * * * *

Shizuru opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing Natsuki and her duffel bag access to the guest room that was in her wing of the house. The blue haired woman strode in and unceremoniously dumped her bag onto the bed. She turned around and fixed a cold glare onto the red eyed demon who still stood just outside the room.

The heiress made no move to leave but felt slightly taken aback by the look that Natsuki was giving her, not that she showed it in her face as she had replaced her mask as soon as the agent had put up her walls. Shizuru knew that the progress that they had made in the past twenty-four hours they'd spent together had just been almost completely destroyed.

They were back at the beginning, if not worse.

"I'm glad you're still here," Shizuru cautiously spoke after a long moment of silence.

Natsuki snorted. "You didn't really give me much of a choice," she chuckled mirthlessly, "I still don't know everything and you're hardly forthcoming with information. If you'd been anyone else I would've shoved a gun in your face and given you five seconds to start talking."

"Then I am grateful that Natsuki likes me enough to not threaten to shoot me again," the demon said in a half-playful, half-serious voice with a small smile. The agent gave her a dark look.

"Don't get me wrong. The only reason why you're not filled with lead is because my organization wants you to be the next Satan and they don't seem to care much about betrayal. Be thankful that you're not dead."

"…Then I hope you sleep well," Shizuru bade with a brief nod of her head. Natsuki's last remark had hurt her, but she wasn't going to show it. "And we're going to visit my friends tomorrow. They may know more about your past."

"Fine," was the curt reply before the Natsuki turned towards the bed, away from Shizuru. The demon sighed and began to walk away from the door. Natsuki clenched her jaw, her eyelids fluttering before she growled softly.

"Shizuru!"

"Yes?"

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight… Natsuki," Shizuru returned in a hushed voice, before heading towards her own bedroom. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as she thought about the way Natsuki showed that she still cared for her in her farewell, although the agent had earlier insisted otherwise. Perhaps things weren't as bad as they seemed.


	12. Breakfast

**Breakfast**

Author's Note: Okay, as some of you pointed out, my angst sucks so bad that you couldn't even tell which part it was. In my defence, I don't really read angst and I guess that I'm too much of a mush ball. Thanks for all the awesome reviews and to everyone who's added this story to their favourites and story alerts; it really does mean a lot to me, not to mention it encourages me update faster (as well as a certain drama queen ranting at me – you know who you are!). And a massive thumbs up to Silver bluey san who beta'd for me. XD

**Disclaimer: Is there a Mai HiME OVA or series dedicated to ShizNat? No? Then I don't own it. Or Pokémon. Yet. ;)**

_Natsuki mentally struggled with herself, willing her paralysed body to move, if only to scream at the bear demon that was sneering at her. Again she saw shards of glass fly everywhere as it smashed through the window. Again she heard the tearing of flesh as its jaws ripped open her mother's throat, followed by the desperate rasping of her last breaths. Again she felt the tears roll down her face and the warm fur wiggling underneath her hands._

_The crash barrier loomed in front of them and before Natsuki could spare any thoughts about the obstacle they crashed through it. She closed her eyes as the wind rushed through the broken window, her stomach rolling as the soared through the air and began to drop._

"_Save me…" she managed to murmur before there was a mighty splash and the car was consumed by water. Natsuki felt the influx of water push her back and Duran slipped out of her grasp. She choked as the water filled her mouth and nose, causing her to panic as she thrashed desperately against the seat belt._

_Her movements became sluggish as her lungs screamed for air and numbing darkness filled her mind. Her arms floated limply in the water and she believed that she would feel quite nice at that moment if it wasn't for the searing pain in her chest._

_She wasn't alerted to the other person's presence until the window beside her broke and she felt something sharp shoot across her skin. Hands grasped her and the seat belt seemed to magically snap away. Her head turned towards the figure that was illuminated by silver light and she smiled._

"_A spirit guide," she mouthed before consciousness left her._

_The next thing she was aware of was the feeling of sand beneath her as she began to cough water out of her lungs. Warmth that had been covering her mouth left her and the sound of a relieved sigh filled her ears, followed by what she would later recognise as the sound of a blade being sheathed._

"_This was your father's sword. I know you'll take good care of it," the husky voice of her saviour reached her ears accompanied by a soft thump. Natsuki opened her eyes to see a white and blue katana lying next to her._

_She looked up to see a woman's silhouette in the darkness walking away. Hastily she scrambled to her feet and stumbled after her, her body still weak from her near-death experience._

"_Wait! Who are you?" she cried out as her legs gave way. The woman stopped and turned her head slightly so that she spoke over her shoulder._

"_Someone who is not supposed to be here. Remember, be vigilant and…" the stranger paused for a moment, her voice softening when she spoke again. "And always follow your heart, no matter who it leads you to."_

_The stranger resumed moving away, leaving the girl to stare wordlessly at her. A silver light began to radiate over the front of the woman's body as she began to seemingly dissolve and Natsuki's jaw dropped as she glimpsed dark blue hair._

"_Mother! Don't leave me!" She screamed, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. The light flashed before both it and the woman disappeared completely. She was alone._

_* * * * *_

Natsuki woke up with a jolt. After a few seconds of panting she fumbled on the bedside table for her mobile. Once she had found it, she flipped it open and squinted as the bright light penetrated her eyes that were accustomed to the dark. It was 4:27.

She snorted as she threw the phone almost distastefully away from her. Even though that dream had been longer, she had still awoken at the same time. She mused how curious it was that after having a dreamless sleep the night before, she was to be repaid by having a longer and more detailed dream.

"Perhaps I should just get into bed with Shizuru for the rest of my life. Stop me from having crappy dreams," she murmured with a smirk. But then the previous day's revelations awoke in her mind and the smile quickly turned into a scowl.

She threw off the covers and skulked out the bedroom, heading to the kitchen as her hands clenched and unclenched. It took all her will to walk in the opposite direction to where the Amethyst Viper slept and for different reasons than what her half-wakened self uttered.

As far as Natsuki was concerned Shizuru had betrayed her and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Although she wouldn't admit it, the agent had begun to care about the heiress and to have bomb shell dropped on her like that destroyed the trust she had in the demon.

The only good thing she found in the whole situation was that the strange occurrences that had been happening lately were explained, but even then the truth was the possibility that she'd been rejecting.

She sighed as she grabbed a glass off the drainer and filled it with tap water. She took a gulp as she leaned her back against the counter, deciding to temporarily direct her mind away from her newly discovered heritage as she pondered her dream. The last section had been a new addition, making Natsuki unsure if it was a part of her past or a fantasy that she had fabricated.

If it had actually happened, it would explain how she had managed to get her sword while most of her mother's things had been sold when she went to the orphanage, but the way the woman had disappeared was strange. Now that she was awake she doubted that the woman had actually been her mother, as her mother was thoroughly dead by that point and Natsuki did not believe in ghosts.

"It could have been an angel," she muttered, thinking it plausible as angels could manipulate people's minds into believing whatever they wished. She shook her head. "Or it was just my imagination."

Natsuki shrugged and went to take another sip of her water, only to find that it had been frozen solid. She growled and slammed the glass onto the counter. She stormed off to her room to grab a small bag and a towel before going to the bathroom.

She paused momentarily as she once again entertained thoughts of at least interrupting Shizuru's sleep by bursting into her room and yelling at her about her damned powers. But Natsuki knew that it wasn't the red eyed demon's problem, even if she did blame her for interrupting her blissful - if you could call it that - ignorance.

She speedily washed herself in the shower, thinking how ironic it would be if she managed to electrocute herself in the process. As soon as she was dried, she shrugged on her motorbike leathers and grabbed her helmet. She needed to get out of there.

As Natsuki paced down the hall, she wasn't aware of the red eyes that were watching her in the shadows. As the front door clicked shut, Shizuru's sorrowful gaze drifted to the floor. She had heard her love moving around since she was a light sleeper and had seen how tense the woman's body was, guessing correctly that she was still angry about the day before.

"Natsuki…"

* * * * *

Natsuki swaggered into the bar and sat down on one of the stalls, signalling to one of the bartenders that she wanted to order. It was six in the morning and the patrons were a mixture of those who were passed out drunk from their late night partying and those who had come for their breakfast.

The bar welcomed all races and was open twenty-four/seven. The only reason why it wasn't shut down was because it was incredibly hard to stumble upon but it was easily monitored, not to mention that agents who worked with the supernatural often came here. Natsuki often came here after riding on her Ducati, merely because it was one of the few places open in the early hours of the morning and found that it was becoming instinctual.

The bartender approached where Natsuki sat and she gave him a small smile. He was a huge man that looked like he could easily be a Hell's Angel with his black bandana and leather vest, the image heightened by the fact that Natsuki knew that he did indeed ride a Harley Davidson and that he actually was an angel. His dark eyes latched on to her as he leant against the bar.

"What do you want?" He asked in a gruff Scottish accent, his mouth coming into view which had previously been covered by his greying beard. Natsuki knew he was asking for more than just her order, which was the way every time she came in.

"I'm not after trouble Bill, I just want a drink," she stated calmly. She sighed softly when he didn't move a muscle. "Honestly, I'm not in the mood for a fight."

"Good," he replied with a grin, his some-what intimidating presence shifting to something more friendly. "It'd be a pain in the butt if you throw another punk through the window."

"He deserved it!" Natsuki protested, tapping the bar to emphasize her point. "I'm not going to let some guy grab my ass and get away with it!"

"That was stupid of him. Everyone should know by now not to mess with you," he agreed, pulling a glass off the side. "Are you having your morning usual or your night?"

"Night. Make it a large."

"Really? That's not like you." His eyebrows shot up. "Your problems multiplied or something?"

"You could say that."

Bill gave her a sympathetic smile as he placed the glass of whiskey and a packet of crisps in front of her. She gave him money in exchange before he was beckoned by another customer.

Natsuki took a sip of the drink, enjoying the fiery sensations that accompanied the liquid as it travelled down her throat. She placed the glass back down on the bar and sat back, combing out her knots by running her fingers through her hair.

"Interesting combination you've got there," a voice remarked. Natsuki turned to find a dark haired man grinning cockily at her, the cigarette clenched between his teeth innocently smoking away as it slowly killed him. The blue haired woman raised a slender eyebrow. She'd been in the bar barely five minutes and she was already being hit on.

"What's it to you?" she snapped. The man looked taken aback by her harsh response. He frowned slightly as he stared back into her emerald eyes.

"Erm… have I seen your pretty face before?"

"Are you a demon?"

"Of course I am! Do you really think they make men in heaven this handsome?" He laughed before giving her his sexiest expression, turning the charm onto full power. Natsuki glanced at his scarred face. Truthfully, he wasn't bad looking but there was something about him that was absolutely repulsive.

"I don't suppose they do," she said dryly before adding underneath her breath, "Thankfully."

"So how about I buy you breakfast?" he offered with a grin, thinking that she was impressed.

"Got it." Natsuki held up her crisps.

"A drink?"

"I have a drink."

"I could buy you another one."

"I'm not getting drunk at this time of day."

"Soda?"

"Will you just piss off?" Natsuki snarled, her patience wearing thin. After everything that had happened to her the last thing she needed was an idiot chatting her up, so she wished that he'd get the message and leave. The demon's mouth snapped shut and he stood up, looking miffed as he did so. Natsuki sighed in relief.

"Why did you ask if I was a demon? Do you like that in a man?" He asked with a perverse smile, sitting back down again. The blue haired woman practically screamed in frustration. If it wasn't likely that Bill would come after her for making a mess of his bar, she would have given him a cremation on the spot with her newly found powers.

"Because I'm-."

"Natsuki!" A delighted yell came from behind her and she felt a crushing weight land on her back. Natsuki pulled at the arms that were constricting her throat and she turned her head to find Midori's face inches from hers. Her boss reeked of alcohol.

"Midori! Get off me!"

"But we haven't seen each other since…" Midori screwed up her brow in concentration. "I don't know, but it's been a long time! How's snakey?"

"You call less than twenty four hours a long time?" the blue haired woman muttered, but wasn't really surprised. She was puzzled only momentarily by the red head's question. "Shizuru's fine."

"Good! Where is she?"

"At home," Natsuki replied simply. Midori gasped and released her hold of the agent, staggering back as she didn't have anything to anchor herself in one place. She pointed at Natsuki accusingly as she swayed, her face filled with despair.

"You neglected your duty! You abandoned her to hang out with some guy who looks like he should be in a nicotine advert!"

"Oi!" The man interjected just as Natsuki was about to protest. Midori ignored him and continued to scold her employee.

"I gave you a very important mission and you're here loitering about! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Shut up! Jeez, what's with everyone today? I come here to get a drink and get harassed by this jackass, and then I have my wasted boss yelling at me. Shizuru's strong enough to look after herself, even if she wasn't so devious and cunning," Natsuki ranted, pausing momentarily as she thought of a believable lie to get her off the hook. "Besides, Mikoto's there."

"Oh," Midori responded before a deliriously happy grin spread over her features. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"Erm, are you fine ladies in some sort of club?" the man asked with a confused smile, obviously missing the part where Natsuki called him a jackass. Midori got an excited gleam in her eye and Natsuki cringed, knowing exactly what was coming.

"I'm glad you asked. Natsuki!"

"I'm not doing it," she dead panned. Midori grabbed her arm and pouted as she tugged, causing Natsuki's face to screw up with disgust even more. "Isn't Youko here with you?"

"Oh yeah!" The drunken woman stumbled across the room to where her girlfriend was sprawled out across a couch. "Honey! Wake up! We have to do our theme song!"

"Get lost Midori, we don't have a bloody theme song," the doctor groaned, rolling onto her side away from the beaming red head.

"Aww, come on! I taught it you _weeks _ago!"

"Humph. What time is it?" the burgundy haired woman inquired, eyeing her lover groggily.

"About six," Midori replied chirpily. Youko moaned and buried her head deeper into the couch. Midori shook her shoulder impatiently, not bothering to evade the lazy slaps sent her way.

This was a common occurrence whenever the couple went out drinking and was almost turning into a routine. Both women had an amazingly high alcohol tolerance level so that they could drink until the break of dawn before they were 'completely hammered'. Since Youko drank slightly faster than Midori, it was always her that passed out to be prodded awake by the red head who wanted to go home and sleep on a comfortable bed.

"Leave me alone. I want more than an hour's sleep."

"Sleep later. Sing now," Midori ordered as she dragged the woman onto her feet. Youko wobbled and clutched onto Midori, which almost unbalanced the both of them.

"You're such a caveman."

"And you love it. Come on, I'll get you a drink."

Somehow they both managed to navigate towards the bar, where the demon had forgotten about his question and was as close to Natsuki as he could get without endangering his life. The blue haired agent was leaning away from him as she tried to nonchalantly munch on her crisps; the twitch in her eye and the vein popping out of her forehead revealed her agitation.

"So how about it? We could be _real_ good together."

"How many times do I have to say this? I _don't _date demons! Damn it, I wouldn't date you even if you weren't!" Natsuki scoffed. The man took a long drag before puffing out a stream of smoke, unintentionally directing it at the woman he was trying to impress.

"I love it when women play hard to get," he remarked. Natsuki clenched her teeth and curled her fists, ready to strike the man. He rambled on, not knowing that she was ready to propel him out the window. "Is it because you're an angel? That's not a problem with me, not for a good looking babe like you. We should stop hating each other; the treaty was signed years ago and people are still- hey, where are you going?"

"I've put up with this shit long enough. I'm leaving," she said bluntly. She had hoped that she could have finished of her whiskey, but it wasn't something she could knock back and there was no way she was sticking around to listen to the moron beside her any longer.

She turned on her heel, glad that she made the decision to get out of there before she did some serious damage and smacked straight into Midori. Both women yelped as they collided with each other and Midori toppled backwards, bringing Youko and Natsuki with her as she grabbed onto both of them.

They landed in a crumpled pile with a crash and there was a brief pause before sniggers erupted from around the room, including the loud guffawing of the demon who had been hitting on Natsuki.

Natsuki hastily climbed to her feet and brushed herself off before heading towards the door, her cheeks burning from embarrassment. Before she could get very far, Midori grabbed her ankle and she almost tripped over again. She glared at her boss as she tried to shake her off.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"But we haven't sung our theme song yet and you're trying to leave," the floored woman whined, not letting go of her ankle. Natsuki furrowed her eyebrows.

"You expect me to stay and embarrass myself even more? You really are deluded."

"I'll dock your pay for a week."

"…Fine."

"Yay! Now we have all three people to do our theme song!" Midori cheered as she sprang up to glomp Youko, who had just managed to clamber up onto her feet. Natsuki's mouth dropped with terror.

"What? That's it. I'm definitely leaving, because there is no way I'm going to-."

"A month."

"I'm doing the last line."

"That's all I wanted," Midori replied smugly before putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest, her pose imitating Superman. She turned her attention to the demon who was watching them curiously. "Hey! You'd better be listening, ash tray man!"

"Don't call me that!"

Youko crossed her arms over chest and stood back-to-back with Midori, perked up by guzzling the remains of Natsuki's whiskey. Natsuki stood off to the side slightly, one hand on her hip with her head bowed, her hair intentionally hiding her face. She couldn't believe she was doing this as Midori started to recite her lines.

"To protect the worlds from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nations!"

"To announce the wonders of truth and love!"

"To keep watch over the red star above!"

"Midori!"

"Youko!"

"Natsuki."

"S.E.D. agents arriving in time to fight!"

"Defending the peace with all their might!"

"Woof, that's right."

Crickets could be heard as the trio finished and all eyes in the room were fixed on them. Natsuki gritted her teeth as Midori and Youko cheered, yelling for Bill to get them more alcohol.

The blue haired woman marched towards the exit without saying a word, needing to get out of there before the laughter that she knew would come arose. After all, it wasn't everyday they got to see 'professional' government agents singing a modified version of the Team Rocket appearance theme tune.

"Shizuru would love it if she could see me right now," Natsuki mumbled, knowing that the red eyed demon loved it when she was embarrassed. She shook her head. Why she thinking about Shizuru at a time like this?

She quickened her pace as a few chortles escaped the lips of a few patrons and soon enough the whole bar was in an uproar of laughter, the shock of what they had just seen out of their systems and filled with amusement.

"Kuga! Come back soon and order the morning next time!" Bill called after her as she pushed through the doors. Natsuki snorted and flicked her hair behind her shoulder, walking in the direction of her parked bike. It would be a while before she went back there again.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Natsuki looked up at the sky beseechingly as she recognised the voice of the arrogant demon. Could her day get any worse? A snigger left her mouth. Her day always got worse.

"Leave me alone before you wish you'd never been born," she warned without bothering to turn round. The footsteps pounded closer and it wasn't long before he was walking by her side.

"Oh, come on Natsuki-chan, that's just mean. I've been the perfect gentleman," he wined, the cigarette that he'd had in his mouth long disposed of. Natsuki grabbed him by the collar and forcefully pushed him against the wall.

"Gentleman?! What would a chauvinistic pig know about being a gentleman? And who said you could call me that? Because I haven't given you permission to even speak to me."

"I can't help it if I find you so irresistible," he replied with a silly grin, seemingly unaware of the predicament he was in. "Maybe it's love."

"Love?!" Natsuki shrieked as she launched herself away from him, finding the notion so absurd that she forgot to knee him in the gut for the likeliness that he was some sort of pervert. "Creep."

She pushed him aside and mounted her bike, which happened to be only a few yards away. The demon stood there dumbly for a moment before he attempted to approach the bike, only to run into an invisible wall that Natsuki's subconscious had constructed. Natsuki let out a bark of laughter as he dropped like a dead weight onto his rump. At least there was a good thing about being a hybrid.

She shoved her helmet onto her head and put the bike into ignition. The demon came to his senses as she took the brake off.

"Can't I just have you're number?" he yelled over the revving. "And by the way, my name's Takeda. I'll see you around Natsuki-chan!"

Natsuki rolled her eyes and drove off. It wasn't until she was half way to Shizuru's house that she remembered the demon who killed Chie's crew was called Takeda, but she couldn't be sure if it was the same man since it was a common name. She winced, regretting that she hadn't hurt him much just in case; it would have been less than he deserved if he was and merely enjoyable if he wasn't.

Takeda got to his feet and brushed himself off, the smile that he'd been wearing much more sinister. He took a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and placed one in his mouth. It ignited by itself and he inhaled the nicotine.

"So that's Natsuki Kuga. I think I know what payment I want now; the old one's getting boring," he chuckled before pulling out his phone. After pressing a couple of buttons he raised the phone to his ear.

"I was wondering when you'd call," a male voice answered dryly.

"I was busy. I suppose that fool Tate delivered the package safely?"

"He did. Surprisingly. Every thing's going as planned."

"Good. The boss will be pleased," Takeda acknowledged before his tone turned threatening. "Don't forget to set it half an hour later than the original time, or else you'll be sorry that you ever crossed paths with us, Yamada."

"Humph, I'm hardly one of those low-lives your boss employs. Ah, that reminds me, how did you ever climb so high to get a position of responsibility such as this? Your powers are dismal at best and your social skills aren't any higher than your average thug," the other demon replied with a mocking voice.

"Loyalty," Takeda growled. "Not that you'd know anything about that, you treacherous scum bag. Now I'm going turn this thing off before you provoke me to do something I won't regret."

"Then what are you waiting for? For me to send you love and kisses?" Yamada scoffed. Takeda disconnected the phone and angrily shoved it in his pocket, striding back to the bar's entrance. He was going to have another drink and watch his enemies act like fools for a while before he called that bitch to take him home. His anger dissipated as he thought about the blue haired beauty that he was sure to get his hands on. One way, or another.

* * * * *

"Where were you?" Shizuru asked quietly as Natsuki entered the living room, putting down the book that she was reading so she could fix her red eyes on the slender woman. Natsuki dumped herself on the end of the couch, reclining back on the soft leather as she returned the Amethyst Viper's gaze.

"I went for a ride," she told her, finding it strange that they were have a normal conversation after the night before. "Why?"

"For curiosity's sake." Shizuru gave her a small smile. "I phoned my friends not long ago. They said that they would love to meet you."

"Huh? Oh, okay," Natsuki acquiesced, temporarily forgetting that she was going to meet Shizuru's friends. Her father's friends. Shizuru nodded before biting her lip. Natsuki noticed and gave her a questioning look, causing the demon to sigh.

"I must warn you that one of them was injured yesterday. It's nothing overly serious but she's not in the best of health."

"Was it from the fight?"

"Ara, I see that you've heard about their presence."

"So it was," the blue haired agent stated. "Why were they there?"

"I…" Shizuru hushed her voice, knowing that Natsuki wouldn't like the answer, "I asked them to track down Alyssa so that she wouldn't hurt you."

"You sent them to kill her, even though you knew that S.E.D. was after her," Natsuki acrimoniously summed up. Shizuru didn't say anything and Natsuki laughed bitterly. "You wanted me to believe that demons weren't as bad as they seemed and I nearly did. But you're as murderous and conniving as they come, going on about a treaty that you nearly broke and deceiving me into trusting you."

"You're wrong," Shizuru spoke softly but with conviction. "I have never lied to you and I knew that you'd react like this if I told you everything at once. I only asked The Fangs to go after Alyssa to protect you. The treaty wasn't in danger as she is of both races and the rules don't affect her. Wouldn't you kill for someone you care about when their life is at risk?"

It was Natsuki's turn to remain silent. She mulled over her words and didn't react on instinct, as Shizuru's frank tone forced her to think about the question carefully.

At first she mentally snapped that she had no one to care about, but then she realised that her friends and colleagues meant a great deal to her. She wouldn't think twice about shooting to kill an angel that was about choking the life out Mikoto, or slicing through a demon that had successfully foiled Akira's ambush with a well aimed fireball. There had even been a situation when Chie had been caught off guard by a crazed human woman who was intending to push her off the edge of a building and she had stopped her by putting a bullet in her skull.

She would indeed kill for someone she cared about. She had done it before and would willingly do it again.

"But why do you care?" Natsuki questioned at last, her voice more curious than her previously aggressive tone. Shizuru smiled sadly and rose to her feet.

"I'm going to get dressed. It will be a bit embarrassing if I walk about in public wearing my pyjamas," she playfully declared, tugging the white material of top as she did so. Natsuki scowled, aware that Shizuru was avoiding the question. She grabbed the demon's wrist as she tried to pass her.

"Stop eluding me. I want to know."

"Know what?"

"I want to know why you care," Natsuki pressed, standing up so she could be eye level. She gently grasped Shizuru's captured hand with her own, so she was now holding onto the heiress with both hands. A blush so faint that Natsuki could barely see it covered the demon's cheeks and the blue haired woman wondered why.

Shizuru looked down at their interlinked hands, knowing that if she looked into those beautiful green eyes she wouldn't be able to resist temptation. It took all her will power not to kiss the agent's lips and even then she was close to breaking. She noted how weak she was when it came to Natsuki.

"Is it wrong for me to care?" she whispered.

"Uh, no… I don't think so. But it's… strange that you feel that way… about me," the biker explained, her cheeks reddening. Shizuru cocked her head to the side and peered at Natsuki from under her long eyelashes. Damn the consequences.

"Ara, ara, there's nothing strange with how I feel. It's simply a question of whether you resist what is meant to be."

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

The demon gave a devilish smirk and began to shorten the space between their faces. Natsuki locked her gaze onto the crimson eyes that were staring intently at her and she felt shivers run up her spine as she realized that Shizuru was about to kiss her. Her stomach knotted; not in fear or disgust, but something else entirely. Her eyes fluttered closed as warm breath caressed her skin, shutting out the tiny, irritating voice that told her to shove Shizuru away and she was sure that her face was a shade of tomato.

"Natsuki shouldn't be drinking this time of day," Shizuru reprimanded suddenly and Natsuki opened her eyes to see disappointed crimson barely an inch away. The heiress pulled back and Natsuki frowned, telling herself that she was wearing this expression because of the comment, not because she felt let down.

"I only had a couple of sips before some idiot started bothering me," Natsuki protested, dropping Shizuru's hands as she saw scrutinising expression on the princess's face. "Oh, come on! It was hardly a good night for me last night and I think that I deserved one."

"But it's not healthy to be drinking whiskey first thing in the morning." Shizuru retorted, the worry in her voice evident. "The only people I can think of who drink like that are..."

"What? You think I'm an alcoholic? Screw you! I hardly ever drink and I don't need you of all people to tell me that I can't do what I want to, because it's none of your business," the blue haired woman growled, crossly folding her arms over her chest.

"Ara… if Natsuki assures me that she isn't, then I believe her."

"I'm not."

"Good. I'd hate to think that Natsuki was."

"So are you going to get dressed or not? We don't have all day, you know," Natsuki huffed, reminding herself that she had to get changed as well. Shizuru nodded hesitantly and serenely left the room, closing the door behind her.

The blue haired woman let out a heavy sigh and ran her hands through her hair. She collapsed on the couch and covered her eyes with an arm, her mind spinning in bewilderment.

The conversation with Shizuru had turned from normal to confrontational to confusing, then back to confrontational but on a different subject before finishing of with an atmosphere which meant that things should be relatively normal between them.

Then there was the fact that they had almost kissed. Had Shizuru not smelt the alcohol on her breath, Natsuki could unnervingly say with conviction that she would have happily let her do so.

"But why? What's changed me so much?" she questioned aloud. "Is it because I now know that I'm not human? Or did I start changing my views since I met her? And why did she attempt to kiss me when she obviously loves her soul mate? Humph, maybe I read her wrong? Yeah, that's it. She could smell the whiskey and like an idiot I thought she was going to kiss me. Uh, I need to get a grip and decide whether I hate her or… I feel stupid. Like Hell was she going to kiss me."

"Ara, ara, I could if you like," Shizuru chimed, re-opening the door to reveal that she was still in her pyjamas, grinning like the cat who got both the cream _and _the canary. Natsuki felt like boiling water had been tipped over her head as she went completely red. The heiress had heard everything. Natsuki groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"Bloody demons."


	13. Blueness

**Blueness**

Author's Note: Okay, sorry about the long wait, but I had exams and moved house on top of that so I couldn't really spend too much time writing. This is the un-beta'd version but I thought that it'd be too cruel to make you guys wait any longer, especially since you've been so nice in all your- whaaa? Over 200 hundred reviews!? *Thunk* (Since I am currently passed out on my bedroom floor, I am unable to spazz and rant. I'll upload the beta'd version as soon as I get it back, so thanks and enjoy.)

**Disclaimer: Look at this watch. Keep your eyes on the watch. It's going back and forth. Back and forth. You're getting sleepy. Your eyes are drooping. Relax. When I count to three, I will own the Mai HiME series. 1, 2, 3… Did it work?**

"This is it," Shizuru declared as she hopped off the back of Natsuki's bike after it had slowed to a stop, happy that she had managed to torment the biker over the course of the entire ride.

Natsuki had to bear with the feel of Shizuru's front pressed tightly against her back and the heiress's hand 'accidentally' slipping towards her groin whenever she shifted as they were driving along a straight piece of road. Needless to say, Natsuki dismounted the Ducati with an extremely frustrated expression.

"Good. Any longer on the road we would have ended up being in an accident," the blue haired woman huffed as she placed the helmets in the top box on the bike, before she cocked her head to the side and a silly grin spread over her face. "Although that would give me a good excuse to buy the new Ducati Streetfighter."

(Author's Note: It's such a hot bike! Okay, so it's not the best bike on the market in terms of performance, but it's so cool and is supposed to be the street version of the 1198! It reminds me of the motorbike version of a sexy rebel that makes everyone's head turn as she/he walks into the room – so it's perfect for Natsuki! *Drools for a while* ...Erm, I'll get on with the story now… ^_^)

"Why would we have crashed? I was under the impression that Natsuki was a good driver, or does she get fatigued so easily that long distances are difficult for her?" Shizuru asked with false-innocence, dragging Natsuki out of her dreamy state to glower at the heiress.

"My biking skills are top of the league, thank you very much! It's just extremely hard to concentrate when the passenger keeps putting her hands somewhere they're not wanted! And someone like me doesn't get 'fatigued' because I have this thing called stamina. It means that I can go for hours, whatever I'm doing!" the biker growled as she marched past Shizuru.

"Ara, ara, such a promising aspect…" the red-eyed demon drawled before getting sucked into her own fantasy, although it had far more x-rated content than Natsuki's. The agent rolled her eyes and grabbed the other's sleeve, tugging her towards the house.

They had parked just outside the premises due to a car parked in the drive-way and Natsuki could appreciate that they were in one of the nicer areas of the city. All the houses in the street seemed larger than an average house and the appearance of their homes were immaculate from the front lawn to paint-work of the house. The house they were walking towards now was a soft cream colour and looked just as well preened as the others.

"Ah! I was wondering what they had done with my car," Shizuru exclaimed, pausing to examine the metallic red car on the drive way. Natsuki glanced at the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 before doing a double-take.

"Is that blood?" she questioned, peering into the interior of the car. The majority of the back of the passenger seat was covered in the sticky red liquid, so much so that it was hard to distinguish the black leather it was covering.

"It must be Nina's. Erstin did say that she was injured, but I didn't think that she would have lost this much blood," Shizuru replied with alarm, the grimace on her face revealing her worry. The agent put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm sure she's fine. Come on, let's go see her."

They speedily made their way up the rest of the drive and not a second later they were ringing the doorbell beside the front door. They heard a muffled yell and moments later Erstin opened the door. The blonde smiled at them brightly despite the tired eyes and dishevelled appearance.

Natsuki's eyes were helplessly drawn to the cleavage revealed to her by the low cut tank top and it took all her concentration to stop her jaw dropping. The demon was bigger than Mai, which she had long ago labelled an impossibility.

"Shizuru-chan! Thank the Gods that you came; Nina's being her stubborn self and won't let go of her laptop for a second. You're immune to her pouting and you're better at telling her off than me, so maybe she'll listen to you."

"She's still working?" Shizuru asked incredulously. "After all that blood in the car, I would have thought that she'd be lying in bed asleep."

"If she was anyone else she would be, but you know what my Nina's like. She's never happy unless feels like she's doing something constructive," Erstin laughed, running a hand through the messy strands of her hair.

She turned her attention to Natsuki and blushed when she noticed that the agent was gawking at her chest. Shizuru frowned and stepped on the blue haired woman's foot, causing her to yelp and snap out of her stupor.

"Natsuki shouldn't be so perverted," Shizuru chided, not at all pleased to find her soul mate looking at another woman. Natsuki blushed deeply and frenziedly shook her head as she held her hands up defensively.

"I didn't mean to! I just kinda got attracted… I mean my eyes sort of ended up… they're just so big… ack!" Natsuki tried to explain, only to see Shizuru's eyes increasingly narrow. She whipped round to Erstin and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry! Honestly, I'm not that sort!" she squeaked. Erstin stood dumbstruck and Natsuki began to get worried. She had embarrassed herself terribly by doing something unusual of her behaviour and insulted Shizuru's friend at the same time. She knew that she was in very deep trouble with the crimson eyed demon and even more so if the blonde didn't accept her apology.

Giggling reached her ears and she stopped fretting enough to see that Erstin had her hand clapped over her mouth, the blonde's shoulders visibly shaking with laughter.

"You may not look anything like him, but you are definitely your father's daughter!"

"Eh?" Natsuki grunted, surprise taking hold of her features instead of the scowl that she had prepared. Erstin grinned at her and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the house.

"Let's just say that the past likes to repeat itself."

*****

"_Masuyo, I'd like you to meet my wife Erstin. Erstin, this is Masuyo Searrs," Nina introduced as she wrapped her arm around the blonde's waist. Erstin smiled at the man and held out her hand._

"_A pleasure to meet you Mr Searrs. I was wondering if I'd ever get to meet the champion of the peace, the Silver Wolf."_

"_The Silver Wolf? Is that what they're calling me now? Pesky melodramatic titles," he grumbled as he took the offered hand, causing the demons to chuckle. "Please, just call me Masuyo. My fondness of formalities has been tainted by this whole affair, even if it is for a good cause, Mrs Wang."_

"_Fair enough. Then just call me Erstin," she replied as Masuyo leaned forward, raising her hand to his lips. He froze after he kissed her hand, his face paling as he stared straight ahead._

"_Masuyo? Are you alright?" the blonde demon asked, glancing at her lover in confusion. Nina's jaw was clenched as she stared at the hybrid and then Erstin realised that he was now eye-level with her breasts._

"_I advise you that stand upright quickly, my friend. You are lucky that you haven't already lost your eyes," the blue haired woman growled, her orange orbs practically boring holes into him. Masuyo sprang back and his face reddened as he realised what had happened._

"_Sorry! I sort of froze… it wasn't my intention to… I just thought… that size… impossible… ack! I am so sorry! Honestly, I'm not that sort!" he spluttered as he buried his hands into his long silver hair._

"_It's fine. You're not the first that has done it," Erstin laughed, defusing the tension in the room. She was used to getting attention because of her bra size and the majority of the time it hasn't been as innocent, which caused her many problems when she was younger. "And you most certainly won't be the last."_

_*****_

The interior of Erstin and Nina's house was so hot Natsuki thought that she was going to melt as soon as she stepped inside. Usually, the blue haired woman never took notice of changes in temperature since it didn't really bother her, but air inside the house was stifling.

"Ara, ara, it's cooler than usual in here," Shizuru stated, obviously not surprised by the heat but she still shrugged off her coat and placed it on a coat hook beside the door. The agent gave her a look of disbelief before she also discarded her jacket.

"You mean it's physically possible to get hotter than this? Damn, I'd hate to see your gas bills."

"It's the tiny price I pay in having a jungle cat demon as my soul mate," Erstin replied, amusement clear in her voice. Natsuki nodded as she looked around her surroundings, half-expecting to see some exotic plant that came from the depths of a rain forest, which wouldn't have been out of place with the heat and the homely feel of the large hallway.

The blonde pushed through a nearby door and the visitors followed her into what was revealed to be the lounge. Natsuki blinked at the brightness of the room before fixing her gaze at the inhabitant who was tapping away at a laptop. Her jaw dropped and it wasn't because the person was wearing a hoody at such high temperatures. Could this be the woman from her dream?

At that moment, Nina looked up from the laptop and smirked at her.

"Hello Natsuki, long time no see."

*****

Chie calmly ran her hand over the black paint work until her fingers trailed over the handle. With a quick tug she opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. It was only when she had her hands on the steering wheel did she allow a massive grin form on her face.

She had just bought the latest Mustang GT convertible model and felt as giddy as child on Christmas morning. It had been the car she had always wanted and had almost died in excitement when her brother had told her he had got his hands on one. The benefit of having a brother who joint-owned a garage that both sold and repaired cars was discounts, which was why she never went anywhere else when it came to her car, not to mention that she knew that the job would be done properly.

Chie turned the ignition and listened to the purr of the engine, beaming as she closed her eyes.

"That is a beautiful sound," she moaned. She was too caught up in her delight to notice the shadow that had fallen over her.

"It's about time you had something you loved."

Chie froze at the familiar voice and her heart began to hammer against her rib cage. Her eyelids felt strangely heavy as she opened them and her brown orbs seemed dazed as they took in the figure standing next to her car.

"Aoi?"

"Yeah, it's me," the blue eyed woman confirmed with a small smile. The agent gawped at her, dumb-struck at the woman's sudden appearance. She could hardly believe that her ex-lover was standing before her and resisted the temptation to pinch herself. There was no way in the world that Aoi could be there right now and yet she was.

She looked thinner since Chie had last seen her and her posture was slumped, showing that she had lost all hope and confidence. Anger burned inside the agent when she spotted the scar trailing down the side of her face. She leapt out of the car and without thinking reached out to examine it.

"No!" Aoi cried, her eyes widening with fear as she stumbled back, crossing her arms in front of her as if to brace herself. Chie halted with her hand out-stretched, pain racing from her heart as she realised that the other brunette thought that she was going to harm her.

"Chie, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have come," Aoi apologised forlornly before she began to run.

Chie chased after her and found that her ex-lover was surprisingly fast. If it wasn't for the boost of speed she had from her magic reserves, Aoi might have got away. The agent managed to tackle her to the ground, twisting them in mid air so that she took the brunt of the impact. Instantly, the lighter haired brunette began to wiggle, trying to get out of the tight grip around her waist.

"Why are you trying to run from me?" Chie yelled, ending her attempts to escape. Aoi stared down at the brown eyed woman, blue eyes forcefully hardened to make it clear that she wasn't playing.

"I wasn't thinking straight when I came here and it was a mistake. Let go of me. I don't want to hurt you again."

"Again? I've never stopped hurting!" Chie bit back. She caught the look of surprise that flitted across the other woman's face and softened her tone. "Please don't leave me."

"You know I can't stay," Aoi whispered, although her heart was screaming that she wanted to do nothing more than to stay in the agent's arms. "I left because Takeda would have killed you and he'll do so now if we're seen together."

"So that bastard has done this to you?" the agent fumed, tracing the scar on Aoi's face as her eyes flared with anger. "I'll make him wish that he'd never been born!"

She hauled herself and Aoi up to their feet before marching towards her new car. Aoi stared at her walking away wordlessly before jogging after her.

"Chie, wait!" she ordered, putting her body in front of Chie as she put her hands on her shoulders. "If you go after him now, all those years of suffering would have been a waste!"

"Aoi, I promised you long ago that I'd free you. The only thing that I've done for you so far is to cause you more suffering and I can't bear to think of the pain you've gone through. I'm stronger now; I can defeat him."

"But he's gotten stronger too! Not physically, but he's involved with some of the strongest of the demonic high lords. They won't come after you to avenge him even if you did kill him, but because you're a S.E.D. agent they'll think that you're trying to interrupt their plans."

"Plans? What plans?" Chie asked in a perplexed tone. Aoi looked away. "Aoi! What aren't you telling me?"

"There are some who don't want the Amethyst Viper as Satan," the blue eyed woman replied in a hushed voice. "And they'll do anything, I mean _anything_, to stop that from happening."

"So you mean there is going to be an attempt to assassinate her. I don't suppose you could give me any names?" Chie summed up. She began to rub her temple where a head ache was beginning to form as Aoi shook her head. "And I thought this whole Searrs fiasco was troublesome enough."

"Searrs?"

"Don't worry about it. But I still can't just let you go back to him just so he can abuse you," the darker brunette declared before chuckling darkly. "Besides, he keeps upping the score I have to settle with him."

"Your crew…" Aoi said softly, both her voice and face laced with guilt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do, I… I just had to save you."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have done something to stop him," Chie asked in an equally soft voice, but it held no animosity. That question had haunted her for years along with the guilt and longing for her love.

She had lied to Natsuki when she had said that she wanted to forget Aoi; she had always wanted to simply be with her, but without knowing whether she was alive or dead it had been too painful to allow hope breathe inside her.

"Because you would have gone to face him, even if you had called for reinforcements. You're a natural knight in shining armour and I knew that you couldn't rescue me without ending your own life. So I rescued you instead."

"But the price…" Chie whispered as her gaze lingered on Aoi's scar. She sighed heavily as she looked pleadingly into Aoi's eyes. "I suppose it's too late to change the past, but the future can still be ours. Stay with me."

"I've told you already that I can't."

"But-," Chie was cut of by the ringing of Aoi's cell phone. The blue eyed woman hastily pulled it out of her pocket and raised it to her ear, her gaze locked with the agent's as she spoke.

"Hello?"

"Pick me up now. And get me some cigarettes."

"Sure."

"Hurry up."

She slipped the phone back into her pocket once Takeda had disconnected the call and gave Chie a sad smile.

"I have to go."

"Aoi, meet me at the café at noon tomorrow," the darker brunette instructed, grasping the other woman's wrist from when she had turned to leave. "We'll find a way to get you away from him."

"Chie, it's too risky," Aoi objected, but the look in the agent's eyes showed her that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Make it ten a.m.; Takeda has a meeting that starts then and he won't call me then."

"Alright. I'll be there," Chie agreed with a nod. There was an uneasy silence as neither wanting to voice their parting, even if it was only brief, and they were both unsure of the status of their relationship.

Finally Aoi gave a small smile and began to drift away. Chie watched the abused woman as she marched towards a car that was parked on the other side of the road and how she kept glancing over her shoulder, searching for anyone who might inform Takeda of her activities. Chie sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pondering the situation at hand and how it fitted in with all the other problems she was facing.

However, inside their hearts was an emotion that was rising that both hadn't felt in a long time but had found revival in their meeting. That feeling was hope.

*****

Nina's smirk turned into a puzzled frown as she stared at the statuesque agent who, in some ways, had a similar appearance to herself. She could feel as well as see the bewildered green eyes bore into her and she wondered what had provoked such a reaction.

"It was you," Natsuki breathed. "You were the one that saved me all those years ago."

"…I have no idea what you're talking about," Nina declared, her brow furrowing deeper.

"A woman saved me from the car crash that killed my mother sixteen years ago. She had blue hair and had a striking resemblance to my mother, just like you. You pulled me from the car and gave me Duran."

"No, I- wait, what did you say about your father's sword?"

"You dumped it on the beach next to me and told me to look after it," Natsuki recounted huffily, trying to trigger the memories in the demons' mind. Instead Nina appeared more baffled than she previously was as she shoved the laptop onto the floor next to the chair she was curled up on, grimacing when her wound flared with pain after the quick rise to her feet.

"But that's impossible," the orange eyed demon exclaimed as she stalked past Natsuki. "Follow me."

"What's going on?" the crimson eyed heiress asked quietly when Natsuki made no signs of movement, her face showing the slightest signs of discomfort. After a quick glance at Erstin's troubled face, Shizuru knew that she was the least aware of what exactly was happening and since she was rarely in such a position, she found that she hated it.

"I'm not sure," Natsuki replied haltingly as she scowled. "Is she trying to say-?"

"I thought I told you to follow me," Nina yelled from the hall, prompting Natsuki and Shizuru into motion as Erstin sat down on a couch. The azure haired demon led them up the stairs and down to the end of the hallway where a large wall scroll of a dragon hung.

Nina pushed aside the wall scroll and stepped behind it. After hearing several clicks her hand motioned them to follow her once again. Natsuki stepped past the wall scroll and held it back for Shizuru as she looked around the small space.

Her gaze fixed past the open door and onto the stairs that ascended to what was probably the attic. Natsuki winced at the loud creaking sound as she trod on the bottom step and wondered how Nina had made it to the top without making a sound. She shrugged her shoulders and began to clamber up the stairs, knowing that Shizuru was close behind her and was staring at her ass.

The attic itself had been converted dojo; the longest white-washed wall was lined from top to bottom with katanas and other weapons with a heavy bag on the opposite. The wall facing the stairs had been painted not in white but a battle scene between animals. What caught Natsuki's eye especially was the wolf pouncing onto a bear that was standing on its hind legs, both animals growling viciously as a large snake crushed the life out of a bull in the back ground.

"What is that?" she breathed, her voice echoing back to her from the emptiness of the room. Nina was crouching before the painting, pulling up a few loose floorboards as she answered the agent's question.

"It is a replica of the famous artwork _'Révolution de l'Entrelacé'; _the most famous piece of the angelic painter Marcus Florence. He claimed that it was a vision of the future, although no one knows when this may be."

"Why do you have it painted on your wall?"

"Why not? I like it and so does Erstin," the demon said with a casual shrug as she reached down into the floorboards. "It's an interesting piece of art. Don't you agree, Shizuru?"

"…Yes," the heiress replied pensively, her mind too absorbed with the picture to notice the curious look Natsuki sent her. "Yes it is. Strangely enough, I've never set eyes on it before."

"Your parents never had much appreciation for it being the traditional demons they are; they've always cared little about the far future and much less when it wouldn't affect them."

Nina was now standing before them with a cylindrical box that was not unlike Mikoto's in her hands, only it was a great deal shorter and it opened along its length. She wore a serious expression as her orange eyes practically burned holes into the Natsuki.

"This has been in my possession since before you were born and hopefully this will clear things up," the demon stated solemnly, her tone telling Natsuki that whatever was in the box was important. Nina handed the agent the box and gestured approvingly when she unclasped the buckle that kept it closed. Slowly, she lifted the lid and hands started to shake when she saw its contents. Behind her, Shizuru placed her hand over her mouth in surprise.

"No," Natsuki gasped. "This can't be right."

Inside the box lay a katana that was exactly identical to the one that was in her allocated room at Shizuru's house. The sword Duran.


	14. Duran

**Duran**

Author's Note: I know that I left a lot of you confused last chapter, but hopefully this will clear _some_ things up (it's not supposed to answer everything but if you're still like "WTF is happening?" about what's brought up in this chapter then feel free to ask me. I don't bite. Much. ;D). Also, there have been a few queries as to why Shizuru is being cautious in showing her feelings to Natsuki and I've tried to give a bit of insight to Shizuru's thoughts as well as add in some fluff, so this is one of those chapters where I try to shove everything in. Quite a long chapter this time (longest so far actually) and I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to update again since I don't know when I'll get internet access again in the holidays.

Author's Rant: They no longer sell Mai HiME merchandise in Tokyo Toys! Tokyo Toys is the only store in the UK that primarily sells manga and anime merchandise without having to directly import it from another country. The Mai HiME stuff was pretty limited the first couple of times I went (there was a couple of bags and a type of purse, which of course I have. That is also where I got my Nina Wang figurine. :3) but now they just sell one type of bag and I highly doubt they'll restock. When I asked why, they said that it was "too old" and I very nearly had a go at them (I can be a little irrational at times when I like something a lot). So yeah, I'm sad now. :(

**Disclaimer: What? Again? Aww man, are you trying to remind me that I'm just a bum who don't own nothin'?**

"What is this?" Natsuki said hoarsely as she stared unblinkingly at the sword in her hands.

"I think you know the answer to that question," Nina replied simply as she flipped a braid over her shoulder. The agent gave her a look that screamed distrust as she snapped shut the case.

"Are you trying to tell me that the sword I've been wielding for the past sixteen years was nothing but a fake? I refuse to believe that."

"That seems to be the case."

"But who would do that? And how, if you had the sword all this time?"

"Hmm yes, that thought is rather worrying but I can come up with no other conclusion. Your father had plenty of enemies and if he had been careless enough to allow someone to get hold of it, then they may have pulled such a stunt in hope that he may come at a fatal disadvantage if he were to face a foe powerful enough to overcome him," Nina mused, her face set in serious concentration. In her eyes, there was no other explanation for it.

"That's stupid!" Natsuki barked. "If my father gave you the sword, then that would mean that the one that I hold in my hands now is the fake. Your logic doesn't meet up."

"Then they got the swords mixed up and delivered you the fake when they became aware of your existence. None the less, there are now two swords and this must be the real one. There have not been any other katanas that have been created in the Vallenkor forge with relviant."

Natsuki's eyes widened as she pr

ocessed the origins of the weapon in question. The Vallenkor forge had a history of creating Hell's finest and deadliest of weapons, the most endurable armour and the most beautiful metal-works that any world has ever seen. The smiths of the Vallenkor forge could shape metal to their will like no other, but their skills had a price and a long time before the war was over only the richest could afford to buy their wares.

Relviant was as equally prized as the talents of Vallenkor blacksmiths, but belonged to the mines of Heaven. The metal was light yet strong and incredibly hard to break due to the magical properties that it naturally contained. It was also known that if forged with care, weapons could amplify the magical abilities of the user. It doesn't take a genius to figure out a combination of these elements would create an extremely valuable weapon in terms both price and usability.

"My Duran must be a fake then," Natsuki sighed in defeat. She hated being wrong. "It's just a normal sword, a good sword but-."

"No," Shizuru firmly interrupted, shaking her head. "Your Duran is not a fake. It carries the same pulse that relviant possesses and it carries the mark of Zenith Moncelius, the royal smith of Vallenkor."

"What are you talking about? You haven't even seen my katana out of its sheath," Natsuki retorted with a frown. Shizuru placed her hand on her cheek as her other hand supported her elbow as a guilty expression formed on her face.

"I took the liberty of having a look at it this morning while you were out."

"You what?!"

*****

"Natsuki…"

Shizuru stood there long after the door had closed before she willed herself to move, but even then she didn't know what to do with herself. She walked on auto-pilot through the dim corridors and found herself resting her hand on the guest room door that Natsuki was currently accommodating. After a brief internal battle she slide the door open and slipped inside.

The bedroom was rather plain, containing only a double bed, a set of drawers and a table but even so it still held the sense of luxury the rest of the house contained. The demon sank into the unmade covers and buried her face into the pillow, inhaling Natsuki's scent that still lingered there.

She imagined that Natsuki was lying beside her and if she opened her eyes she would see green orbs staring back at her, a trace of a confident smile on her lips as she languidly stretched out on the bed. She doubted that Natsuki knew it, but that was often the expression she wore around the heiress during their walk around the zoo and afterwards. Until she found out her heritage, that is.

Shizuru sighed heavily as her day dream was shattered. How long will it be until she gets to see that smile again? It was Natsuki's curiosity that made the agent stay the night before, not her attraction to the princess, although that may have helped slightly.

She knew that if the agent truly wanted to leave, then Shizuru might not be able to stop her even if she got down on her knees and begged. Although they were soul mates and undeniably attracted to each other, they had known each other for only a short amount of time and Natsuki's feelings had only just begun to develop.

Although Natsuki's reaction to learning of her true nature was understandable, it didn't make it any easier for the demon when the blue haired woman lashed out at her for not telling her straight away. What further aggrieved her was that it was quite apparent that Natsuki was living in a fierce state of self-denial, or else the agent would have already realised that they were soul mates from the dreams that she had previously mentioned.

"What would she have preferred me do? Say something to her as soon as she walked through the door? How about 'Hello my Natsuki, I'm Shizuru and we're soul mates. I've been dreaming about you for the past twelve years and I think that I'm more than ready to get into your pants, so let's hurry up and get married. By the way, you're actually half human with a mix of demon and angel because your father was a hybrid. An absolute pleasure to meet you,'?" she murmured sarcastically before she mentally scolded herself. It wasn't the agent's fault and could even be called the victim of the situation, but it was frustrating for the red eyed woman.

In an ideal situation, Shizuru would have told Natsuki everything over a long period of time and she would have been more risqué with her actions towards the agent. But she didn't know how much she could push Natsuki and as it was she couldn't afford to upset the hybrid too much in case she left.

Shizuru had no doubt that her soul mate would eventually come back, but she didn't have a lot of time left until she reached her pinnacle of power. She could already feel her strength growing and, worryingly, her sanity was beginning to be tested as the odd unthinkable thought slipped into her mind. But she refused to go crazy; for the good of her world, herself and ultimately Natsuki.

She had always intended to take the throne for herself since she had learned of her father's death; not out of greed but because she saw no other option. Like S.E.D. she was alarmed by her brother's intentions and knew that the chances of her sister claiming victory were slim, even if Shizuru thought that she could prove everyone wrong and be a good leader, so she made her decision to do the exact opposite of what she felt like doing. She had not been lying when she told the S.E.D. agents that she thought it too much hassle to rule over an entire plane of existence.

However, her siblings had an advantage over her; they had both made love to their soul mates and even had families while she was still chasing her heart's desire. Natsuki will be the one who decides whether or not she will qualify for the throne. Shizuru knew that she only had to tell Natsuki and the agent's sense of duty would compel her to have sex with the heiress, but Shizuru wanted their first time to be filled with love, not responsibility.

She could even imagine Natsuki accusing her of threatening S.E.D. in order to get close to the biker, although this was originally not the case. The shock of her father's sudden death and the pressures of the challenges that were about to come made her run through her list of allies, both those that she could trust freely with her life and those who needed more materialistic things than good faith to keep on her side.

Realising that she wasn't sure where Earth stood in its political preference Shizuru asked Yamada to inform one of the government's organizations that she was forfeiting her right to the throne and for information on who was likely to be sent to her. Shortly afterwards she received four folders with S.E.D. stamped on the front and she almost fainted from joy when she opened the top one to find a picture of a bored-looking Natsuki sitting outside a café as she flipped through what seemed to be a motorbike magazine. Fate had obviously decided that it was time to bring them together and even if she wanted to, who was she to fight fate?

Shizuru groaned as she ran her hand down her face, coming to the decision to give Natsuki some space until the agent could feel comfortable in her presence once again, not knowing that her resolution would fail miserably under the blue haired woman's touch just a few hours later.

After a few minutes she sat up and stretched, ready to leave the room in case Natsuki came back when something caught her eye. Propped up in the corner behind the hybrid's duffel bag was Duran.

Shizuru bit her lip, wanting to have a closer look at the weapon but she knew that Natsuki wouldn't be very pleased if she found out that she'd been touching with her stuff without permission. But a little look wouldn't hurt anyone and what Natsuki doesn't know won't land Shizuru in trouble (not counting major things like being the daughter of a multi-racial hero or being the soul mate of the heiress of Hell; Shizuru had a feeling that she would be shouted at as soon as the blue haired woman found out).

A sly smile formed on her face as her more devilish side won her internal debate. She crept over to the corner and lifted up the katana before leaping back to the safety of the bed. She felt like a child who knew that she was doing something terribly naughty and loving it as every creak of the house set her nerves on end, half-expecting the agent to come bursting through the door. Once she was confident that the biker wasn't about to catch her she began to examine the sword.

The sheath and hilt had been painted a base white while the tough material that had been tied around it was an electric blue, the colour palette giving an icy feel to the katana that could easily be comparable to the aura Natsuki possesses. Her fingertips traced the length of the sheath upwards to stop before the round silver pommel, her hand taking proper hold as she slid the sword out of its covering until a foot of blade was revealed to her. She dare not unsheathe the sword fully as doing so would cause great disrespect to Natsuki and her ancestors.

The crimson eyed woman let out an appreciative sigh as the blade glimmered in the gloom, the finely etched markings appearing more three-dimensional as the shadows clutched to the grooves. She giggled suddenly as her eyes wandered over the symbols she knew all too well. It was times like this when she could hardly believe that she had actually found her Natsuki.

"I've found you both, Duran," she remarked warmly and the katana sent a pulse of white light down its blade in response. The demon raised an eyebrow.

"So you're relviant, are you?" The light began to throb excitedly and Shizuru felt a sense of pride from the sword, causing her to laugh. It didn't strike her as odd that she was having a conversation with a weapon, but Shizuru had always been on the eccentric side and her own weapon did not have such an up-beat personality.

"Ara, ara, you remind me so much of your master. I can picture you both growing wagging tails and needing you bellies scratched! Although I think scratching yours may hurt a great deal," Shizuru commented as her eyes drifted to the wickedly sharp edge. The light flashed lazily as if it were shrugging and it inadvertently drew the heiress's focus to something she had never noticed before.

Underneath one of the carved wolf's back paws were two tiny letters: Z.M. It didn't take her long to realise that it was the initials of Zenith Moncelius, who had also forged most of her family's weapons including her own naginata, Kiyohime. But unlike Kiyohime, which was made out of Hell's treasured blood metal Sanguinium, Duran was of both worlds just like his former master, the Silver Wolf.

Awe overtook her as she became fully aware what she held in her hands and she could feel her grip softening as if she thought Duran could melted by her body temperature. Natsuki would definitely be angry with her if it could.

"You're more precious than I initially thought," Shizuru remarked, voicing her thoughts aloud. Duran sent out a pulse of indignation, as if it was saying 'Of course I am. Did you honestly expect anything else?'

The twittering of a bird distracted Shizuru from the sword and made her realize that it had become quite bright in the room as the early vestiges of daylight had decided to bless the world with its presence. It was best that she left now before Natsuki too arrived back at the house, not that Shizuru would wish for anything but that although she could see how her current position may provoke the agent once again.

As she sheathed the sword she felt a brief wave of disappointment come from the blade. She doubted that it had a good conversation in a while and she made a mental note to alert her soul mate of the importance of having good communication with one's weapon, especially if they have been forged in Vallenkor as they are often given a soul of their own.

Shizuru placed Duran back where it was and allowed her eyes to wander once more around the room before she left, partly to make sure that nothing was majorly out of place as to alert Natsuki of her presence there but also to see the evidence that the agent had truly entered her life, yet she did not have to do so as she could faintly sense the agent's aura in the room. As she walked towards the living room she could feel a content smile upon her face.

Already their lives had begun to entwine.

*****

"You really shouldn't be snooping around my stuff while I'm not there," Natsuki growled with her arms folded across her chest. Shizuru had just told them about her interactions with the sword, leaving out her thoughts and feelings about the biker that was frowning moodily at her, an expression that she found rather cute where others would find it unsettling.

"But aren't you relieved that I did?" Shizuru asked, peering at Natsuki from underneath her eyelashes. The agent's expression softened before her eyebrows furrowed deeper. Shizuru was right when she assumed that Natsuki felt relief, but even more so she was unsure where it left her in terms with the two swords, even if she was to overlook the demon's disrespect for her privacy.

"Then I guess there is only one way to solve this," Nina declared as if she had just read Natsuki's thoughts. "Shizuru, take the sword downstairs and stay there until we come down. We'll see you again shortly."

"Ara? If I was a suspicious person then I would say that you're trying to get rid of me," the heiress replied teasingly, although she did want to know the reason for the older woman wanted her to leave. Nina's lip tugged up at one side to form a crooked smile.

"Then it's a good job you're not. Now go," she ordered, but chuckled as Shizuru continued to stand there with a raised eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'm not going to harm you're precious girlfriend."

"Erm, I-I'm her bodyguard, not her girlfriend!" Natsuki spluttered as her cheeks rapidly reddened. She tensed slightly when she felt two arms wrap around her torso and pull her back into a soft body. The biker shivered as hot breath followed by smooth lips glided across her neck.

"Really Natsuki? I thought we'd transcended a professional relationship a _long_ time ago," Shizuru purred, flicking her tongue over Natsuki's earlobe in an almost snake-like fashion before trailing her hands backwards over the frozen woman's body as she pulled away. The heiress slipped the sword case out of the agent's limp hands and only let out the delighted giggle she had contained inside as she descended the stairs.

Ever since Natsuki didn't pull away from the kiss that morning Shizuru had been given a profound amount of confidence and now she could hardly keep her hands to herself. She couldn't help but get bolder with her advances, despite knowing that she was risking everything.

What she had just done had been a major test to see if Natsuki was truly attracted to her, because the woman could have shoved the demon away at any time and both of them knew that there was another person standing in the room. But fortunately she had passed with flying colours and the biker's earlier spoken musings only confirmed it, not to mention Shizuru could taste the arousal emanating from her body thanks to being a snake demon. It wouldn't be long until Natsuki really was her girlfriend.

Back in the attic, two blue haired women stood there with blushes on their faces, although one was a _heck_ of a lot redder than the other. Nina's gaze was fixed on the ground while Natsuki was staring into empty space, still trying to overcome the shock of her latest encounter with the Amethyst Viper as she placed a hand on her neck, still able to feel soft lips on her skin. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes, trying to shake away the feelings – which were definitely not arousal! - that the demon had provoked. Thankfully, Nina granted her a reprieve when the older woman cleared her throat.

"So… Natsuki, are you ready?"

"Ready for what exactly?"

"Oh, um, right," Nina bumbled, the blush that has almost completely faded intensifying momentarily. Shizuru's display of… affection, if you could call it that, had been almost as awkward for her as it had been for Natsuki. It seemed that there was more than just looks that the two women had in common and Natsuki was glad to see the softer side of her.

"The plan is that you're going to summon Duran," Nina began to explain. Natsuki's eyebrows shot up as she tilted her head questioningly to the side. "Because Duran is no ordinary sword, it will come to you if it is called since it is tied to your bloodline. Whichever sword appears at your command is the real one."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Natsuki said slowly, although she was a bit miffed that she only just found out about this power. Walking through a crowded place with a katana strapped to your side could be a real pain in the ass. "How do I summon it?"

"Just call out its name and will it into your hand," Nina replied simply, leaning comfortably against the wall. Natsuki nodded and took a deep breath as she raised her right hand.

"Duran!" she yelled, magic lacing her voice and vibrating the room with its power. A bright light appeared and there was a snapping sound before Natsuki felt something hard smack across her face. The next thing she knew she was face down on the floor, feeling like she had just had a boxing match with Mike Tyson.

She pushed herself up onto all fours and spat out the blood that had filled her mouth, groaning when she spotted a pearly white object that had formerly been one of her further back teeth lying in the red liquid. She knew that she was lucky that she had not broken jaw, but it was still disappointing not to being able to claim she had a full set anymore.

"I'd pick that up. You might be able to salvage it."

"What the fuck happened?" Natsuki moaned. "You said Duran would come to me, not whack me in the face!"

"…Take a look for yourself," Nina told her. Natsuki heard the disturbed tone in her voice and her jaw dropped when she looked at the floor around her. There was not one, but two Durans lying beside her, which meant that they both answered her call. So that meant…

"They're both real," Nina summarised Natsuki's thoughts. "Somehow, they are one and the same, yet that's been branded an impossibility as no two swords can share the same soul. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"I have a hunch, but we'll just have to wait and see if I'm right," the demon answered mysteriously as she pushed herself off the wall and walked over to the staircase. The agent growled in frustration.

"What is with demons and keeping secrets?!"

*****

Mai walked into the living room after dropping Ryuu off at school and sighed as she spotted her husband sprawled over the couch with his jacket covering his upper torso. It was the first time she had seen him since he walked out of the café the day before and correctly assumed that he hadn't come home until the early hours of the morning. After a quick trip to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water, she proceeded to pour it directly over his face.

"Psht! What the-? Mai! Cut it out!" he yelped, twisting his body wildly as he tried to escape the liquid. Mai slammed the glass onto the table once it was completely empty and fixed her accusing gaze on Tate's dripping face.

"Are you having an affair?" she demanded to know. Tate looked at her slack-mouthed, but he could see the seriousness in her eyes.

"Huh? No. No! Hell no! God Mai, why are you asking me that?" he protested, wiping the water from his face as he sat up. The orange top stared silently at him for long moments and he could see hurt, anger and distrust in her eyes.

"You've been acting really strange lately," she stated quietly, although every syllable seemed to be incredibly loud to him. "I thought that it was stress from work because your boss has told me that you've been working so hard, but apparently you haven't been there as many hours I thought you had. And then… yesterday you acted really weird when you saw me with my friends. Mikoto was going to follow you-."

"She was?" Tate said in alarm, fear evident in his voice. A sharp pain ran across his cheek. He looked at his wife in confusion as she drew back the hand she had just slapped him with. Mai was visibly shaking as she faced the side; her eyes clenched shut as she tried to barricade the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I knew it. I knew there was another woman," she hissed through her teeth, shaking her head in anger.

"No Mai, you've got it completely wrong. I-."

"You what, Yuuichi?!" Mai screamed, her purple eyes now open and staring at him with rage. "Explain to me how such a _good_ husband like you could _never_ cheat on me! I should have listened to Mikoto when she told me not to trust you!"

"Mikoto?! Why do you always bring up Mikoto?! If you're so in love with her, then maybe you should have married her instead of me!" Tate roared back, leaping onto his feet so that he towered over Mai.

"Well at least she wouldn't lie to me!"

"Ha! You wouldn't know the truth if it smacked you in the face!" Tate spat. "You're so wrapped up in your own little world that you ignore everyone else's problems! I bet you didn't even notice that she was in love with you, did you?"

"Wh-what?" Mai stuttered, shock replacing her anger as she stood in stupor. "N-n-no, she doesn't. What are you-?"

"Of course she doesn't now because she's found someone else. But ever since we were teenagers she's been clinging to your side, hoping that you'd return her feelings and you never did. Then you fell in love with me and that's why she's never liked me. All this time she's been your little pet and you didn't even stop to think that she might want more than your friendship. Have you even noticed that's she's not the same person she used to be?"

Mai stood there mutely, trying to make sense of what the blonde man had just told her. There was no way that could be true, right? Surely Mai would have noticed it long before now?

Okay, so Mikoto used to rub her face in her breasts, but back then she was practically a child and children always unintentionally did what they weren't supposed to. She was also really protective and would threaten anyone who looked like they were going to take advantage of her, but most people did look out for their friends and that was a quality to be admired, not abhorred. Mai did notice that Mikoto was exceptionally considerate of her and treated her in a gentler manner than others, but that was because they were _best friends._

Tate saying that Mikoto was jealous of him was preposterous; when they had announced their engagement, she had smiled and congratulated both of them. Mai could still see it in her amber eyes, that look of… of…

Mai hung her head in shame, facing the truth that she had blatantly brushed aside all these years. All she could see in the dark-haired girl's eyes that day was sadness so deep that it had seemed impenetrable, although the orange top knew that all she had to do was break off the engagement and say three little words. _I. Love. You. _But Mai couldn't do that.

She had felt that she had already given so much of herself for others, that she couldn't give what remained of her to someone who she couldn't fall in love with, even though she knew cared about Mikoto dearly. Mai didn't regret her decision in doing that, but she did regret how she handled Mikoto's feelings.

"Why are you telling me this?" Mai whispered as she looked at Tate with watery eyes. "I understand what I've done to her, but what's that got to do with us? …Are you trying to tell me that you're having an affair because you're not interested in me anymore? Because there's no more competition?"

"Argh! There is no other woman!" Tate growled as he put his hands on Mai's shoulders. "I'm trying to tell you to stop casting your perceptions on people because they're not always true."

"So why are you hiding something from me?" the chef asked, causing Tate to grit his teeth and look away.

"I-I can't tell you. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Mai repeated in alarm with worry spreading over her face. "You haven't been lending money off loan sharks, have you? Oh my God, please don't tell me you have."

"No, I haven't done anything," Tate sighed in defeat, removing his hands off of his wife so he could shove his hands in his pockets, only to pull one back out again as he held a piece of paper in his hand. "Read it. It makes explaining things easier."

Mai accepted the paper and began to skim across the page, the frown on her face deepening with every line she read. It was a letter.

**Yuuichi,**

**I know that you're thinking about ripping this up right about now, but please hold off such actions until I can explain to you why I broke our agreement. I'm deeply sorry about what happened between us; if I could go back and change the past I would, but that is not why I am writing to you.**

**There is about to be great upheaval that will affect all three planes of existence and it will all be centred around the throne of Hell, as there is a plot to assassinate the present Satan, Lucifer Diablos II. I only know of these plans because I have managed to infiltrate the group behind the plot and even then my knowledge is limited because I am one of the outer members. At the moment, I only know the basic means and the date, but do not concern yourself with them; I know better than to pull you into a mess that you are best staying out of, even if you have already made it clear that you have no desire to help me in my quest, let alone foil an assassination attempt. No, that is not the reason I write to you.**

**I know that I am hardly deserving of a final request if I should meet my demise on this mission, but hopefully this will ultimately save your own life. If the assassination attempt succeeds, get in touch with the Supernatural Branch of the Government and tell them that they must ****stop the Obsidian Lord at all costs****. I believe you may know an agent from the Supernatural Emergency Department, Mikoto Minagi was her name if I remember correctly. Now keep this letter safe or dispose of it, the decision is yours; just don't forget its contents as it is highly important. It may mean your son's future.**

**You may hate me for saying this but I will anyway, as this may be my last chance to say it and I have never told you before. I love you. Don't forget that.**

**Sergay**

By the time Mai had read the letter a third time it still didn't make any sense to her and the beginnings of a head-ache had settled at her temples. Planes of existence… Satan… Assassination attempts… The Obsidian Lord… Supernatural Emergency Department… It all looked like the fantasies of an eleven year-old boy written by the hand of a fully grown man. She decided to start her questions with the easiest.

"Who's Sergay?" she asked before a wave of horror passed over her as she remembered the last line. "It's not _him_ you're having an affair with, is it?"

"Ewww! I can't believe you just said that! He's my brother!" Tate whined, screwing up his face as he shuddered violently. "And will you stop saying that I'm having an affair? I've told you enough times that I'm not!"

"Well, it is a very strange letter," Mai replied with an uneasy smile. "Erm, this couldn't possibly be true, could it?"

"It is."

"But that's impossible!" she exclaimed. She had expected him to answer that it wasn't.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. I swear," he insisted before motioning them both to sit down. They would both need a seat as he told Mai everything he knew. His wife listened to him in rapt silence, only butting in occasionally to question something further or give a noise of surprise. By the time he had finished, they both felt extremely weary.

"So you only know all this because you and your brother were saved from a fire by a demon," Mai stated with a shaky breath.

"Yeah," Tate snorted with a nod of his head. "I was unconscious at the time so I didn't get to see him transformed, but Sergay witnessed the whole thing. He got it into his head that he owed this demon something and started following him around like a dog would his master. He thought that I should have done the same, so we fought about it whenever we saw each other. Eventually we came to the agreement that he'll leave me alone as long as I kept tabs on someone for him."

"Really? Who?" Mai's purple eyes filled with curiosity only to be crest-fallen as Tate gave her a look that clearly said that he wasn't telling. "Come on Yuuichi, we're supposed to share these sort of things. Is it a woman? I bet it's a woman."

"No. It's none of our business and I wish that I didn't know myself."

"But..."

"Mai," the blonde man said warningly. The orange top gave a sheepish smile as she decided to conform to his wishes and changed the subject.

"Do you know if... erm, the assassination attempt succeeded?"

"Yeah. Lucifer the second is dead."

"Have you told Mikoto about it?"

"No... S.E.D. know already and they're doing everything they can to protect the Amethyst Viper, the Obsidian Lord's sister. But…" Tate trailed off suddenly and put his head in his hands. It took Mai a moment to register that he was crying.

"Yuuichi, what's wrong?" she asked in concern, putting her hand on his back and rubbing it in comforting circles.

"Those bastards… they caught him. I didn't know what to do Mai. They were going to kill him," he snivelled with the tears coming faster as he talked. "But now… I wish that I hadn't got involved. I'm supposed to protect you and I've put our family in danger."

"What do you mean?" Mai questioned slowly, dread twisting in her stomach. "What did you do? …What did you do? Yuuichi, answer me!"

Tate hesitantly raised his head from his hands and turned to face her. His wide brown eyes shone in regret and fear, causing Mai to shiver as pure terror took over her. Suddenly she didn't want to know the answer.

"I have to help them murder the Amethyst Viper or else they'll destroy everything I hold dear before my eyes. Sergay… Ryuu… You… They'll kill us all."

*****

Natsuki winced as Shizuru gently pressed the ice pack to her face, but was soon comforted by the demon's fingers stroking away her hair from her forehead and the tingling sensation that the feathery touch caused. On her lap lay the two swords, thankfully unmarred from their clash that had left their master needing to book an emergency appointment with the dentist.

Shizuru had looked like she was ready to slaughter one of her oldest friends when her soul mate had staggered down the stairs with a bruised cheek and blood trailing from her mouth; it was only Nina's warning and a quick explanation that had saved her from an untimely death. The lucky woman had also yet to verbally develop on her 'hunch' that she had mentioned earlier and Natsuki had a feeling that she going to any time soon. The two demons that made up the Amethyst Viper's Fangs sat across from them on the sofa, watching Shizuru tend to the agent's wounds with amused curiosity.

Natsuki glanced up at the heiress who was perched on the armrest of the chair that she was sitting on and sighed as she saw Shizuru's tender expression. What exactly was happening between them? The hybrid felt that she should still be angry at her, yet when they were together Natsuki couldn't help but let that anger fade away to be replaced by something else that she couldn't quite identify. She had a feeling that her urges to be near and have contact with Shizuru may have some connection to her strange emotions, but she dared not to think any deeper into it; her conclusions would make things more complicated than they already were.

"Are you alright?" Shizuru whispered, noticing the perturbed look on the blue haired woman's face as well as the large exhale of air that left her lips. Natsuki nodded once and forced a small smile.

"Sure," Natsuki shrugged nonchalantly, but found herself continuing under Shizuru's disbelieving gaze, "It just hurts a bit."

"It would; those swords are hardly made out of sponge," Nina chuckled, breaking the atmosphere that had developed between the two women. The biker turned her head towards her and raised an eyebrow. When the blue haired demon made no further comment she momentarily pointed her emerald eyes to the ceiling.

"I think it's about time you revealed what you know."

"And I think that it isn't," came the blunt reply. Natsuki jerked her face away from the ice pack and glared at her as Nina returned a cool look of her own.

"What do you mean 'it isn't'?" the agent growled.

"We've got to do some research into it. Only time will tell if I'm right."

"You can still tell us what you think has happened."

"No," Nina firmly replied.

Natsuki snapped her head around to look imploringly at Shizuru. The heiress was in a slightly dazed state at the hybrid's thoughtless use of 'us' where Shizuru would have expected her to say 'me'. It felt good for Shizuru to hear that word come out of Natsuki's mouth and it definitely felt right.

As soon as she came fully back to reality she was met by one of Natsuki's cutest expressions, causing an almost devastating reaction. The heiress felt her stomach flip and air failed to leave her lungs as she fixed her gaze first on wide magnificently green eyes before trailing down to pouting pink lips. It was times like this when it was incredibly difficult to control her Natsuki fixation.

"Nina," Shizuru said with difficulty, unable to tear her eyes away from the ethereal beauty. "Surely it wouldn't harm anyone to tell us your theory now?"

"Actually it might."

"Ara?"

"I think I know what Nina is thinking," Erstin said softly, deciding to speak finally. She still wore a grin on her face that had formed during the princess's unsteady request for information. "And I'm sorry Shizuru-chan, but I agree that we can't tell you yet. It is a matter of time."

Natsuki huffed as she crossed her arms and faced to the side, breaking eye contact with Shizuru. She had momentarily been as entranced as the demon had been as she stared into those crimson orbs and she was sure that a few flecks of gold had formed in them during those brief seconds.

"So what now?" she rumbled as she felt the coldness of the ice pack once again on her cheek.

"We forget about Duran for now and focus on a more complex issue," Nina answered as she brought one leg up to lie across the other. "You."

"What do you mean, 'me'?"

"You're a hybrid of three races that has never occurred before and we need to learn of your strengths, weaknesses, limits and so on. We can use your father as a vague guideline, but since the majority of you is human I'm not sure of how much alike you will be."

"Yeah..." Natsuki agreed, admonishing herself for not thinking of this earlier. Knowing one's abilities were crucial for someone who lived as dangerously as she did and by learning of this new facet of herself meant that things were not as straight-forward as she originally assumed in terms of being a warrior.

"First let's underline all of the main abilities of each race." Nina grabbed the laptop that was resting on the nearby table and opened up a word document. "Let's start with demons since that's the majority in the room."

After a quick brain storming session of all of the abilities they could think of, they ended up with three lists that looked like this:

**Demons**

**Elemental powers.**

**Physically strong all the time.**

**Innate magic.**

**Three forms = Human, Animal, Mutated. (The latter is a cross between human and animal form. Mutated forms may have unnatural elements such as metal added to them with each sin or 'ill intention of the heart', meaning that someone who kills to protect a loved one would have less unnatural elements added to their form than someone who kills for money. This may cause demons in mutated form to look more 'evil' or grotesque – known as 'the Fallen's Curse'.**

**Immortal. (Stop aging after making love to soul mate and prevents insanity.)**

**Angels**

**Mental powers.**

**Physically weak. (Strength roughly equivalent to humans with no enhanced abilities).**

**Innate magic.**

**Two forms = Human, Mutated. (Angels have no animal connections and their mutated forms are based on humans – basic anatomy does not change with the exception of wings.)**

**Immortal. (Appearance of age is chosen at the age of sixteen, but can't be altered later on.)**

**Humans (Those who have seen demons and angels in true form.)**

**Enhanced senses.**

**Enhanced strength.**

**Intake magic. (Individual is usually especially proficient in one of these three skills.)**

**No additional forms.**

**Mortal.**

A couple of minutes later there was another list.

**The Silver Wolf (a.k.a Daddy wolf.)**

**Elemental and mental powers. (Both abilities of average power.)**

**Physically strong. (Would be amongst the weaker demons in exact terms of strength.)**

**Innate magic.**

**Two forms = Human, Mutated. (Only two forms but unlike angels mutated form was based on wolf.)**

**Immortal. (Had angelic form of immortality, but dreamt of soul mate.)**

"Do you have to put that?" Natsuki grumbled with a frown, pointing a finger at the title of the fourth list. Shizuru wrapped an arm around the agent's shoulders and ran her fingers through her hair. Of course, it had been her idea.

"I thought that you'd like it, Na-tsu-ki."

"No!"

"But since you are my cute little wolf puppy and Masuyo is your father he would be your daddy wolf."

"I can see your reasoning but... wait, did you just call me _your_ cute little wolf puppy? And I'm not cute!"

"Ara, you most definitely are," Shizuru replied throatily, emphasizing her point by trailing the back of her hand across a blushing cheek, though which point she was emphasizing exactly was unclear.

"Enough of that you two, it's time to get back to business," Nina reprimanded with a shake of her head, already starting the fifth list which had Natsuki's name as the heading. The agent's frown deepened as Shizuru giggled.

Erstin smiled as she watched the pair from where her head rested on her wife's shoulder. She agreed with Shizuru that Natsuki was indeed cute, but in her mind Nina could be far cuter. Her smile turned sly as she sneaked her hand between them and ran a finger teasingly down the orange eyed demon's side.

"Ahhhh!" Nina screamed sensually as her cheeks flushed, the laptop almost falling from her lap as she jolted forward. She scowled as she fixed her gaze onto the blonde, who was joined in laughter by Shizuru while Natsuki sniggered.

"That was for being a workaholic, Mrs Nina Wang," Erstin declared with a playful poke in the ribs, which made Nina squirm.

"Hmph, for someone who is so shy and sweet, you have a really wicked mind, Mrs Erstin Wang," she returned dryly, although her scowl had decreased so much that it was almost non-existent. Erstin gave her a kiss on the cheek and winked at Shizuru. She knew that the heiress was already planning to use the same move on her own blue haired woman to see what reaction she would produce.

"Anyway, let's get onto the next list," the hybrid suggested, unaware of the interaction between the two demons or what it meant. Together, Natsuki and Shizuru began to tell Nina everything they knew, although the biker felt a bit hesitant when it came to revealing things about herself.

**Natsuki Kuga**

**Elemental and mental powers. (Exact strength unknown. First used powers several days ago.)**

**Enhanced physical strength.**

**Intake magic. (May have some innate magic. Proficient at channelling an unlimited amount of energy through her body at one time, but can't store the majority.)**

**Additional forms unknown.**

**Mortality unknown.**

"There's a lot that I don't know about myself, isn't there?" Natsuki remarked sardonically, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she let out a sigh. Shizuru patted her shoulder comfortingly, re-engaging the contact between them since she had reluctantly withdrawn her arm from the agent's shoulders.

"You will soon learn everything about your supernatural half. We're just going to have to experiment a bit with your limits and see if you can shape-shift."

"Yes," Nina agreed with a nod. "But whether you are immortal or not will be answered several years after you connected with your soul mate."

"Soul mate?" Natsuki exclaimed incredulously, "You think that stuff applies to me?"

"Masuyo-kun had to leave to find your mother and Alyssa-chan has more angelic blood in her yet she had to cheat on her first wife with Miyu," Erstin pointed out before she hummed thoughtfully. She eyed Natsuki before she inquired, "Have you had any recurring dreams about someone? It might not be every night but could be under certain circumstances, like every Friday night or when you are under huge amounts of stress."

Natsuki went to shake her head when she seized up. She was reminded of a dream that only occurred after she had sex with another nameless person. A dream where a woman with tawny hair and lips that tasted like blood cried because of her betrayal only to be reassured by her confessions of love. A dream where the woman appeared and acted exactly like Shizuru.

She slowly turned her head to gaze into the crimson eyes that were staring back at her. Her heart skipped a beat. Was Shizuru her soul mate?


	15. Soul Mates

**Soul Mates**

Author's Note: Okay, I know that I've been procrastinating when it's come to this fiction, but my other long-term fic had been sitting on my pc for a while and the other was a mental spurge that happened when I didn't have my memory stick with me. So thanks for bearing with me (if you're still reading, that is) and here's the latest chapter (it's a long one!). Hopefully this is more action-y than the last chapter and I'm giving Natsuki a shove in the right direction because her idiocy is beginning to piss even me off, and I'm the damn narrator. The song that I've put in this I've wanted to include since chapter nine because I think it really does represent the nature of Shizuru's and Natsuki's relationship, but it did make me worry that I was making Shizuru a bit OC in the circumstances surrounding it, so tell me if it works or not.

BTW: I'm sorry that I haven't replied to any reviews yet; I've been busy but they are very much appreciated and thanks to anyone who has reviewed. :)

**Disclaimer: If I didn't like the random ways I could say that I don't own Mai HiME, I wouldn't bother putting a disclaimer at the beginning of every chapter. Oh, and the lyrics belong to Nightwish.**

Natsuki walked coolly out of the dentists, only pausing to hold the door open for a pale looking Shizuru as they made their way to the Chevrolet which was on the other side of the car park. The blue haired woman couldn't help but notice the look of disbelief in the demon's eyes, which many wouldn't be able to spot as they would be transfixed by her serene expression, and it wasn't long until the tawny haired woman voiced what was bothering her.

"Ara, ara, are you sure you are alright? I've never seen anyone act so calmly when approached by a needle before, especially when it concerns mouth injections."

"Why sssshould I be? I'm not afffraid offf needlesssss, although that basssstard had to sssstick it in my tonnngue beffforrre he got to my gumsss," Natsuki replied with an annoyed frown before she smirked, peering at Shizuru closely. "You're ssshcared offff them, arrren't you?"

"No," Shizuru denied a little too quickly, ducking her head as she spent a bit more attention than needed in searching for the keys in her bag. "It's just a rare thing to see... But then again, my Natsuki is extremely brave and practically fearless, I-."

"I am not yourrr Natssssuki," the blue haired woman hissed, grabbing Shizuru's wrist and whirling her around. "We might be ssssoul mates, but I'm not yourssss annnd I have no innntennntionnnsss of ever being yourrr annnything, innncludinnng yourrr loverrr."

"...Whatever you decide," Shizuru said quietly, slipping her wrist out of Natsuki's grasp and stepping past her. She ignored the lump that had risen in her throat and unlocked the car, taking a shaky breath while Natsuki still had her back to her. She had planned to reveal that they were soul mates once their relationship had became a bit more stable, but now that Natsuki knew there was little that she could do about it except to be strong and make sure that they stay together, even if her soul mate's rejection felt like a hot poker pushed through her heart.

Natsuki on the other hand was trying to figure out why she felt like she had just lied to Shizuru. Although she meant every word of it, she couldn't shake the sense of guilt that had settled over her and knew that she had hurt the Amethyst Viper's feelings. Maybe it was her tone that made her feel like that

The green eyed woman ran a hand through her hair and sighed, looking over to where Shizuru was getting into her car. It wasn't as if she had asked for any of this and the tawny haired woman hadn't helped her come to terms with the fact that they were soul mates with all her flirting. It was really starting to piss her off, especially since she had made it clear earlier that she would leave if Shizuru continued to try to win her heart.

*****

"Have you had any recurring dreams about someone? It might not be every night but could be under certain circumstances, like every Friday night or when you are under huge amounts of stress." Erstin's words made Shizuru's stomach clench as she realized that Natsuki was about to find out what exactly they meant to each other.

She watched as Natsuki's head began to give the negative response and she began to feel hopeful that she wouldn't find out this way, but then the hybrid froze. It seemed like eternity before Natsuki slowly turned her head and met Shizuru's eyes. She knew.

Nina groaned inwardly at the deer in the headlights look the younger women were giving each other and glanced sideways at Erstin, who had her hand in front of her mouth as she comprehended the results of her slip-up. Nina removed the lap top of her lap and took Erstin's hand, pulling her up as she rose.

"We're going to make some tea. Just shout if you need us," she said before they quickly disappeared from the room, leaving Natsuki and Shizuru alone. The heiress could easily hear their hostesses' hushed whispers - Nina was reprimanding Erstin while the blonde was apologising profoundly - and the unsteady beating of her heart as neither she nor Natsuki spoke. She shifted uncomfortably as the green eyes became more scrutinising, stripping not only her body but her soul bare.

"We're soul mates, aren't we?" Natsuki finally asked, her voice sounding slightly strangled. Shizuru nodded and witnessed a flurry of emotions pass through her eyes.

"Yes," she breathed, "Yes, we are."

Instead of losing her temper like Shizuru expected, Natsuki exhaled heavily and dropped her head into her hands. The blue haired woman did feel angry, but she felt weary of losing her temper and was struggling to control it. In a strange way, it all made sense.

"So that woman you were talking about... was me... This week was about getting close to me," Natsuki summarised before she lifted her head back up to look at the apprehensive Shizuru. "You never did tell me why you care, but now I know."

"I didn't want you to find out this way... Natsuki..." the crimson eyed woman replied softly, imploring the woman not to hate her with the tenderness of her voice.

"Then how were you going to tell me? And more importantly, _when_ were you going to tell me?"

"Ara... I was planning to tell you when- no, _if_ you fell in love with me. I didn't want to make you feel forced into anything and I wanted to make arrangements so that it was much more romantic than this."

"You didn't want me to feel _forced _into anything_?_" Natsuki repeated in disbelief, "Ever since I met you I've been told that I've got to do the exact opposite of what I wanted. First was the agreement that made me your bodyguard and that was just the beginning of the minor scenarios where I felt _forced_. Then I felt like I was _forced_ to stay with you when I found out that I was a hybrid and you wouldn't tell me why you knew so much about me. Now that I know the answer to that and that you're soul mate, I still feel _forced_ to stay here and have this conversation with you for reasons I'm not even sure of, although my brain is screaming at me to get out of here after using you for target practise. And don't bother changing that 'when' to 'if'; we both know that you were feeling pretty confident that you could seduce me, even if that confidence was misplaced."

"Then I apologize for making you feel that way, but you were able to walk away whenever you wanted," Shizuru retorted without hesitation, "If you had told me that you wanted to leave at any point after the dinner I would have informed Sugiura-san that the period of time we spent together was enough and that I would be returning to Hell at the end of the week as we had originally agreed. Which leads us to the main question; what do you intend to do now?"

Natsuki gritted her teeth and looked away. A major part wanted to stay with the Amethyst Viper and learn more about herself, but the other more stubborn part of her knew that was what Shizuru wanted and she didn't want her to think that she had won. She exhaled through her nose heavily as she thought about how much she longed to be free from her mission, but now that she knew that she wasn't obliged to continue it she found that she really did want to stay. Perhaps it was because of her thirst for information or maybe it was their connection as soul mates, but Natsuki flipped her hair over her shoulder in an almost symbolic way as she cited her decision.

"You've got until the end of the week to help me figure out what my powers mean and in return I'll be your bodyguard. If you pull anymore strange shit on me or try to get me into bed with you, I'm gone."

"Ara? You're really going to stay?" Shizuru asked brightly, surprised that Natsuki hadn't already high-tailed it out of the door. Shizuru would have still pursued her after a day or so if she had since she wasn't about to give up Natsuki so easily, but she felt almost deliriously happy that the agent was spending time with her out of _choice_, especially now that everything was laid out in front of them in plain sight.

"Don't look so pleased," Natsuki grumbled, "I can still change my mind. There isn't anything else that your hiding from me is there?"

"Nothing, unless you want to count my plans to romance you," she answered with an innocent smile, only betrayed by the wicked glint in her crimson eyes. The blue haired woman shot her a warning look as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Oi, you're already pushing your luck, so cut it out. I'm not here to get into a relationship, even if it means we start frothing at the mouths and book us a one way ticket into an asylum."

Shizuru laughed at that but it quickly died in her throat when she saw that Natsuki was being deadly serious. Shivers went up her spine as she considered the consequences if she couldn't get her soul mate to change her mind. Did Natsuki really hate the thought of them being lovers that much? She hoped that wasn't the case, or it would be certain death according to ancient Demonic decree. For both of them.

*****

They drove in silence back to Amethyst Viper's home, both sullen after Natsuki's outburst. The biker was gripping onto the seat despite Shizuru being the government's idea of the dream driver, as she was still to get over her phobia of cars. She had unwilling allowed Erstin to drive her Ducati back to her house after Shizuru had wrestled her keys off of her, because everyone argued with her that it was dangerous to drive while still being under the influence of anaesthetic, even if her mouth had nothing to do with how she rode a motorbike.

Shizuru noticed Natsuki's discomfort and waited a few minutes out of spite before she hit the power button on the CD player with a sigh, hoping that some music would soothe her. The agent's face lost her expression of anxiety in favour of shock; her eyebrows was practically touching her hairline as she glanced at the source of the music before settling her gaze on Shizuru.

"Rock musssic?"

"Gothic metal actually," Shizuru corrected, smirking at dumb-founded look Natsuki still wore. "I acquired a taste for it after I bought an album which I correctly assumed would aggravate Nao-chan, back when we were teenagers and enjoyed terrorizing each other."

"Ssseriousssly? I thought that you werrre the morrre classsicalll annnd traditionnnalll typppe."

"Ara, Natsuki can read me so well that she knows what music I regularly listen to," Shizuru teased before answering properly, "I enjoy 'mushy fantasy crap' as Nao-chan calls it when I am in the right mood, although I can't stand anything that can be considered heavy or overly violent. Is it really so surprising? The genre does sometimes borrow classical themes to make the music sound unique."

"I sssupppossse nnnot," the blue haired woman replied before looking the demon up and down. "You jussst didnnn't ssseem the type who'd be ssseennn innn a moshhh pittt, that'sss all."

"Then I am obviously an idiosyncrasy; I used to go to metal concerts when I went through a phase where I wore tartan skirts and lace chokers," she said with a chuckle. "Not that I ever did any head banging or anything like that, but I still found it an enjoyable experience."

"Uh-huh," the blue haired woman huffed, gazing at the driver out the corner of her eye. If Shizuru had been the sort, she would have rolled her eyes at the measure of disbelief she was receiving, but since she wasn't she carried on smiling at her.

"Erstin and Nina were just as surprised as you are now when I came home one day wearing something that didn't make me look like I just stepped out of an office."

"Hmm, now that'sss sssommmethinnng that doesssnnn't sssurprrrissse me. I cannn sssee you likinnng the offffficcce look," Natsuki replied with a satisfied smirk before a frown overcame her features. "Ninnna annnd Errrssstinnn? What about yourrr parrrennnntsss?"

"I was sent here to live on Earth when I was thirteen in order to learn about more than demonic culture and history. My parents wanted me and my sister to have opportunities that were unavailable to my brother when he was young and undoubtedly ensure that we had enough awareness to not break the treaty when one of us took power. Nao came with me and we were sent to the two lovely women who were my guardians for my teenage years. We could've returned to Hell as soon as I was eighteen but both of us agreed to stay here and we've only seen our homeland twice since we left, which was about... six years ago."

"Ssso you might rrreignnn overrr a placcce you havvvennn't ssseennn forrr agesss."

"Unfortunately so," Shizuru sighed as she slowed down to a stop, the traffic that was queuing for the junction they wanted to take was practically unmoving. It took Natsuki a few seconds to realize that it was resentment in the demon's voice and it only took her a glance to spot the same emotion on her face.

A slender eye brow rose as Natsuki wondered why Shizuru would hate to have something that many would and have killed for. Then she remembered that Shizuru had said at their first meeting that she didn't really want the throne, something that she had dismissed at the time because she was sure that the Amethyst Viper was lying.

She gave a sharp exhale of air through her nose as she contemplated how the woman sitting next to her was nothing like she had initially imagined her to be, and how little she actually knew of her as their latest conversation had pointed out.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why arrre you ssso desssperrrate to keeppp the Obsssidiannn Lorrrd offff the thrrronnne whennn you would rrratherrr be 'herrre onnn Earrrthhh havinnng funnn innnssstead'?"

"Ara, what other choice do I have?" Shizuru gave a small sigh. "You know my dilemma; if I don't take part then my sister will be killed and my brother will enchain the worlds if he does not destroy them in the process. If I were to speak in a purely rational level, and to imagine that allowing such a calamity to occur would not weigh heavily on my conscience, which it undoubtedly would, it would affect me directly because the worlds we live in would be heavily altered. If I was not to be killed then the life-style I want to live would not be available to me anyway. Speaking on an emotional level, I would rather sell my freedom than to watch the treaty that your father fought to emplace and gives us all hope of a brighter future as a unified set of nations be burnt to a crisp at my brother's hands, nor could I allow the meaningless slaughter of millions of lives. And then there is you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I would do and give anything to ensure your well-being as you are the most precious thing in this world to me, even if you would prefer not to hear it."

Natsuki didn't know what to say to that so she remained silent, uncomfortable with how uncharacteristically blunt Shizuru was being but knowing that whatever she said wouldn't change how the demon felt. Instead she began to drum her fingers against the side of the door, unaware that the CD had gone onto a new track until she noticed that the tawny-haired woman kept glancing at her and the radio whilst she wore a blush on her face.

"What'sss wrrronnng?"

"Nothing," Shizuru replied a little too quickly, "It's just… I used to listen to this song when I was thinking of you."

_Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
Ever dream of me_

Would you do it with me  
Heal the scars and change the stars  
Would you do it for me  
Turn loose the heaven within

_-  
I'd take you away  
Castaway on a lonely day  
Bosom for a teary cheek  
My song can but borrow your grace_

Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
Ever dream of me

_-  
(Dream of me...)_

Come out, come out wherever you are  
So lost in your sea  
Give in, give in for my touch  
For my taste, for my lust

Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
Ever dream of me

_-  
Your beauty cascaded on me  
In this white night fantasy_

(Dream of me...)

Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
Ever dream of me

Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
Ever dream of me

_-  
(Dream of me...)_

Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
Ever dream of me

Natsuki sat rigid in her seat as she carefully listened to the lyrics, thinking how closely the song was tied to them and that either woman could have composed it. Were the emotions she felt provoked by the song the same as her soul mate felt all the years before they met? Did Shizuru hope that Natsuki dreamt and knew of her so that the blue haired woman would feel the same?

A sudden understanding dropped on her like a lead weight. All this time she was only concerned for her own feelings and although she was aware of how Shizuru felt, she never thought how her behaviour would hurt the tawny haired demon. Empathy flooded through her as she thought of how much of a jerk she had been, although she did feel that her emotions were warranted, even if her actions weren't themselves.

"Shhhizzzurrru." The forenamed woman turned her gaze onto Natsuki, guilt filling her as she could see sadness in those crimson eyes.

"Hmm?"

"I'mmm sssorrrry fffor being a total assss. I shhhould have beennn morrre connnsssiderrrate to yourrr fffeelinnngsss."

"Ara, it's quite alright. It's a shock for you and I am truly remorseful that you found out the way you did; I wanted to soften the blow for you."

"No, I would have fffelt the sssame way no matterrr how you brrroke it to me," Natsuki contradicted. When Shizuru said nothing in return she realized that she sounded like she still blamed her, so without thinking she said,"But maybe it'sss too earrrly to say how I fffeel."

She mentally kicked herself when the demon gave her a disbelieving stare, but her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own when she was anaesthetised; she should have risked her chances on her bike.

"Pardon?" Shizuru seriously considered having her hearing checked, because what she had just heard couldn't possibly be right. Natsuki didn't have to vocally answer her because the dark blush spread across her cheeks did it for her, confirming what the agent had indeed said. Hope rose inside of her and she couldn't stop the small smile on face from forming.

Game, set and match.

*****

Mikoto stepped inside the Shakai Kaji Café and waved to her fellow agents as she held the door open. Akira and Chie shared a surprised look when Nao entered behind their black haired friend. Soon human and demon were sat down at the table they were occupying, both wearing grins although the red head's was more sly than happy.

"Yuuki-san, what a pleasant surprise," Chie greeted as she subtly sent Mikoto a questioning glance. However it was not as subtle as she had intended as Nao's sharp eyes caught it and sniggered.

"Wipe that suspicious look off your face Harada. Mikoto asked me to come and I wanted to know what this new threat was; you've got to remember that it isn't just Shizuru-chan's life in danger, but mine as well."

"A-ah, I'm sorry to have offended you."

"Whatever, just don't be so damned formal with me. I have had enough with all that shit with being the slave of the great Amethyst Viper and it's going to get worse in a week's time," Nao huffed as she raked her fingers through the hair at her temples. Mikoto's face fell slightly at this admission and she turned widened amber eyes towards her girlfriend.

"You're going with her?"

"Yeah, I have to."

Silence descended on them as they comprehended for the first time what Shizuru ascension would mean to their relationship. They would be separated as Mikoto couldn't follow the demons without the means to do so or else she would be overwhelmed by the magical energy emanated by an entire realm of demons, even if her ability would help her last longer than others. Chie cleared her throat, breaking the tension that had filled the air around them.

"Anyway I'm glad you're here, because I've been trying to get through to her all day but she hasn't been answering her mobile. Have you heard anything from them? Or else I'm going to have to go over there and make sure everything is okay."

"I spoke to Shizuru this morning and said she was going over to some friends of ours. Oh, and I've got a bone to pick with you," Nao replied quickly, her tone getting angry as she pointed a finger at Chie. "Why did you go tell the mutt about Alyssa and that she might not be as human as she had hoped? She tried to kill Shizuru and would have burned the house down if it wasn't for some quick thinking on our part."

"So it's true? Natsuki is…" Chie lowered her voice, "A hybrid?"

"Yup, half human, quarter demon and quarter angel… How many times will I have to repeat this? You can tell your other friends yourself."

"No, no one else will know about this," Akira declared as soon as she had gotten over her initial shock, "She'll get kicked out of S.E.D. if Midori comes to know about this; it's against the government policy."

"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" the red head responded dryly, smirking as she muttered underneath her breath, "Not that she'll be returning to work after this assignment."

"Huh? What was that Nao?" Mikoto asked with a slight frown. The red head saw that the three agents were looking at her with suspicion and she mentally cussed at her bad habit of voicing her thoughts, no matter how quietly she said them.

"Um, I was wondering what was good to eat in here. I'm starving. Hasn't anyone ever told you that fridges and cupboards are meant to store food? What are we supposed to eat in the mornings?" she moaned, successfully covering her utterances as Mikoto gave a sheepish grin and Chie gave her a playful nudge with her elbow.

"Listen to the lady or else you'll find that you won't be getting any."

"Chie, I always listen to my girlfriend," Mikoto exclaimed indignantly, causing sniggers to erupt around the table. The black haired woman grinned before answering the red haired demon's question. "Everything is really good in here, but we always have Mai's ramen; it's the best food I've ever had."

"Alright, ramen it is. Now it's time to get down to business."

Chie relayed everything that Aoi had told her concerning the assassination, but she left out all personal details about the brunette and the situation that she was in. By the time she had finished a grim atmosphere had settled upon the table and it was only Nao who didn't look like she wanted to jump off a bridge in frustration.

"So that's more hunting we've got," Mikoto moaned, "We've got enough to handle with Searrs. I keep catching weak traces of their auras, but before I can lock onto where they are it's gone again. I think they're in the southern parts of Fuuka though."

"I've been going through all the hotels and apartments, so I'll narrow my search down to that area," Akira declared as she absent-mindedly doodled a picture of a bird onto note pad, shooting jealousy through the others when they glanced down at her hugely superior drawing skills.

"How did you come by this information?" Nao asked as she brought one leg up to rest on the other.

"A reliable source."

"How reliable?"

"_Very_ reliable." Nao nodded at the edge in the dark haired agent's voice and didn't pester her further, much to Chie's relief.

They continued to talk and ordered their food when a waitress wandered over to them. They established that when they left each other's company that Akira and Chie would continue looking for Natsuki's sister, while Nao and Mikoto would go back to the house to inform the Amethyst Viper and her guardian of the latest developments. The conversation halted when the busty owner of the café walked through the front doors.

"Hi Mai!" Mikoto called enthusiastically as she gave a small wave before she noticed the harrowed expression on the woman's face. "What's the matter? What's happened?"

"Mikoto…" Violet eyes stared blankly at the younger woman before turning to the red head sat next to her. "Who's that?"

"It's Nao. Do you need to sit down? You look really ill," Mikoto was now standing in front of Mai, pressing her hand against her forehead to check for a temperature. The orange top flinched underneath the contact and her worry increased when her hand was quickly pushed away. Mai looked into the confused amber eyes and over to the green eyed woman who was watching the interaction with a frown.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you. I hope you will always be happy with her," Mai said quietly, causing Mikoto to lean forwards to hear her better.

"What? I missed that so could you-," she was cut off by Mai's lips meeting hers in a chaste kiss. Shock paralysed her and before she could do anything the orange top had pulled away, unfazed by what she had just done. Nao's shouts of rage sounded like a distant drone to her as she focused on the words Mai solely aimed at her.

"Be happy with her. And don't worry about what's going on with Tate; it's nothing I can't deal with."

Then Mai was gone and she was soon replaced by Nao, who was slapping her hard in the chest as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. The only reason why she hadn't carved Mai up on the spot was because Chie and Akira were holding her back. Nao knew all about Mikoto's past with Mai and the hidden feelings that she had sworn were well and truly behind her.

"What the Hell was _that_? Why didn't you push her away?"

"I-I-I don't know. I was in shock and didn't have time to respond-."

"You 'didn't have time to respond' my ass! She was kissing you long enough!" Nao yelled with one last slap before she charged out of the front door. Mikoto stared after her for a few moments before regaining her senses and following her.

"Nao! Wait!"

"Fuck off!"

"Let me explain!"

"Are you still in love with her?" Nao balled as she spun around, her lime green eyes burning with acidity. Mikoto frowned at her and shook her head.

"You know I don't. I love _you_! Everyone knows that."

"Then why did she...?" Nao closed her eyes to shut away the tears and before she knew it Mikoto had wrapped her in her strong embrace. She tried to move out of it but her walls broke down as the tears began to fall. Mikoto placed her head atop of hers as she thought about Mai, the kiss and her remark about Tate.

"I don't know, Nao. I don't know."

*****

Natsuki stared out across the long stretch of lawn towards the small pond at the back of the house, not really taking in how the pale beacon lights seemed ghostly against the starry sky that had recently gone through the transformation of twilight. Her arms were resting on her bent knees as she sat on the roof, enjoying the feeling of spaciousness and the wind blowing through her hair as she immersed herself into her thoughts.

She had climbed up there when Shizuru had told her she was going to have a bath and that she could go _anywhere_ she wanted within the grounds. Natsuki could sense the playful flirtation within the words and after plenty of blushing and stuttering she had quickly scuttled outside to explore, but found herself sorely tempted to see the view from atop of the house itself.

She felt strangely calm although she still had no idea why she was hanging around or what she was to do next, but after some serious thinking as to why she didn't want to leave she found that it was because she was quite partial to the Amethyst Viper. Maybe it was their connection or maybe it was how different the eccentric woman was that made her feel unable to leave.

"Is that why I said I might be able to love her?" Natsuki whispered softly, all effects of the anaesthetic clearly worn off. She sighed and tilted her head back to gaze at the almost full moon, releasing a small giggle when she felt the notion to howl as she had done many times in the past. "At least now I know where that side came from, eh?"

She blinked a couple of times as a thought came to her and looked down at her hand, which was now slightly raised and stretched out in front of her as she focused upon it. The agent gazed in horrified fascination as her fingernails began to lengthen and course silvery-blue hair sprouted from her skin. Her arm muscles convulsed as they thickened and stretched against the fabric of her sleeve, threatening to rip at any moment. Then it stopped.

Slowly she ran her other hand over the shape-shifted limb, feeling the hard flesh underneath the soft fur. The hybrid lifted her arm and flexed her powerful hand, fully aware that she could punch her arm through a brick wall with little effort. She lightly dragged her nails over a tile next to where she sat and examined the deep grooves she left with their razor sharp points.

Natsuki couldn't take any more and willed to be back to her human form, her body completing her commands in seconds. She fell back as she released the breath she was unaware she'd been holding, spreading her arms out wide and making sure that the transformed hand was as far away from her as possible without slicing it off. A snigger escaped her as she imagined Nina sat behind her laptop typing away in a fury at her latest discovery. She could transform.

"Natsuki! Are you out here?" a Kyoto accented voice called out.

A smile tugged at the agent's lips as she quickly but silently flattened herself against the roof. She could see Shizuru's long shadow stretch out across the lawn and noted how the demon's fingers just touched the doorway she was standing in. The Amethyst Viper cocked her head before she stepped outside, her face turning one way and then the other. Natsuki's eyes widened when she realized that she was tasting the air to sniff her out.

"Where are you Na-tsu-ki?"

"I'm up here Shizuru," Natsuki called out, a little freaked by her soul mate's tracking system. Shizuru turned around and she could see the ruby eyes gleam in the artificial light.

"Ara, ara, what are you doing on the roof?"

"I was just thinking."

The agent was suddenly on her feet and jumped off the roof in one fluid movement. Shizuru's heart leapt into her throat, but before she could respond to the unexpected move Natsuki was stylishly rolling across the grass to rise and stand in front of her. Natsuki wore a smirk but it faded when she saw the frightened expression the heiress wore.

"Sorry Shizuru, I didn't mean to startle you."

"A-ara, I'm fine... I thought that I was going to have a heart-attack, but other than that I'm absolutely fine."

"Erm, good to hear. Do you want to go back inside? It's getting cold."

"Are you coming back inside too?" Shizuru asked almost shyly. There was something in her eyes that tugged on Natsuki's heart-strings and she had to quickly look away, covering her discomfort with a laugh.

"Yeah, unless you want me to stay outside and turn into an icicle?"

"Definitely not... Although you would make the most beautiful ice sculpture to ever grace the three worlds."

"Shi-Shizuru," Natsuki stammered in reply as a blush spread across her cheeks.

The demon giggled and turned around, swaying her hips as she sauntered into the house. Natsuki raised an eye brow before following, trying to persuade herself that she hadn't intentionally glanced at her ass or those long legs emerging from the tartan skirt... tartan skirt?

It wasn't until they had got into the lounge did Shizuru notice that Natsuki was gawping. She gave a devious smile from where she was sat on the couch and brought one slender leg up to rest on the other, watching with satisfaction as Natsuki's throat bobbed with a gulp as her eyes focused upon the appendages.

"Ara, I take it Natsuki likes my outfit?" she teasingly enquired. Natsuki made a show of flicking her eyes over her in a passive way and shrugged as she sat down on the section of couch adjacent to her.

"It's okay I guess. Why are you wearing it?"

"I'm wearing clothes so that I'm not walking around naked. Would you prefer me not to? It can easily be arranged."

Shizuru began to tug up her dark violet t-shirt but was stopped by Natsuki's hands clasping over her own. She giggled when the agent let out an adorable squeak as she lost her balance due to her lunging motion and collapsed onto her lap. A blush quickly made its way to Natsuki's face as her cheek was pressed against one of the legs she was prior admiring and quickly pulled away, unintentionally stroking the soft skin with her hand as she did so.

The phone rang before either could say anything or a tension-filled silence could develop between them. The tawny woman hastily got up and grabbed the device from the table before it could halt its shrill cry.

"Hello?"

"Good evening Shizuru-san," a soft woman's voice floated down the phone that Shizuru recognised instantly. "I trust that you are well?"

"Yes thank you, I appreciate the inquiry. And how about you? I hope that you and my brother are in good health."

"We are fine; things couldn't be much better. Will you be coming tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Shizuru repeated in confusion. "Is there something taking place that I don't know about?"

"Ah, then it is good that I phoned you. I had asked Satoshi-kun to inform you of the family gathering your mother has devised, but you know how forgetful he is."

"Indeed, I wonder where he gets it from sometimes. It's certainly not from his parents."

"...Yes, but there are quite a few irregularities in this family," the voice replied in a colder tone. Shizuru smiled.

"Ara, I agree with that also. What time does Mother expect us there?"

"Half past ten at the earliest, although I'd advise you not to be late; it will be the last time we meet like this and I can think of at least two people will be displeasured by any late arrivals, even if one of them gave birth to the most time-ignorant person alive."

"I shall be as prompt as ever, unless I deem it necessary to hunt down our dearest trouble-maker and drag her along with me," Shizuru declared with mirth, winking at the questioning look Natsuki sent her. The woman was half-listening to the one side of the conversation and that was only because she heard the words 'tomorrow' and 'mother'.

"Do what you will, but personally I wouldn't bother. I must go now, but hopefully I will see you tomorrow. Goodbye Shizuru-san."

"Farewell Mashiro-san," Shizuru said before she put down the phone, biting her lip in thought as her gaze became unfocused. Natsuki watched her carefully as a small yawn escaped her; it would soon be time for the agent to go to bed, or better yet reschedule her sleeping patterns because they had been all over the place the last few nights.

"Hey Shizuru," she drawled after a few moments, "Did you know that you talk different when you're on the phone?"

"I do? I suppose I'm used to conversing in a higher register of language with family members," the other automatically remarked, obviously not paying any real attention to her.

"A higher what?" Natsuki retorted with a frown as she rose from the couch, pacing over to Shizuru to place a hand on her shoulder. "Shizuru, are you alri-?"

The heiress twisted around suddenly, sweeping Natsuki's feet from underneath her so the agent pummelled towards the floor, saved from a hard impact at the last moment by Shizuru's hands holding her by her lower back and head as she kneeled by her side. Before the agent could process what had happened she flat-out on the floor with Shizuru lying on top of her, the demon's arms either side of her head her face hovered over her own.

"Shizuru, what the hell are you do-?!" her angry protests were cut off by a finger against her lips and the fear shining in the crimson eyes that could captivate her with ease.

"Natsuki... I love you."

The finger was removed to be replaced by soft lips, urgent and commanding as they moved against her own. Natsuki lay underneath her without moving for a full three seconds before she closed her eyes and began to kiss her back.

*****

"I can't believe it's so late already. I thought we would have been back about three hours ago," Nao huffed as she shifted in her seat. Mikoto nodded in agreement, not taking her eyes of the road as she turned the car around the corner so they were on the street of the Amethyst Viper residence.

After what had happened, they had cancelled their order because Nao wouldn't have been able to control herself if she saw Mai again and Mikoto wasn't in the mood to break up a scrap between two of her most important people, both agreeing to eat at a restaurant that was of good reputation but a little out of the way. This would have been fine except shortly after finishing their meal, Mikoto sensed Alyssa's aura in the eastern section of Fuuka and the two had to dash across the city as fast as one could in the congestion of work traffic to find that she had already disappeared. Now the two wanted nothing more than to curl up and watch a film together, but first they had to deliver the message of a new threat to the people it concerned the most.

The house came into view and Nao gave a small sigh of relief. Everything seemed to be in ord-.

They watched in horror as flames exploded from the house and licked the sky as a terrible noise like thunder vibrated through the car with its high amplitude. Chunks of charred debris flew out across the lawn onto the street, bouncing and somersaulting along the pavement.

The car screeched to a halt and both passengers quickly leaped out. Nao ran towards the burning house but before she could reach it strong arms were wrapped around her waist holding her back. She had to get her off, she had to get inside, she had to get...

"Shizuru! SHIZURU!" she screamed, but over the roar of the flames no-one could hear her.

**THE END**

Author's Note: LOL, who knew that kissing Natsuki could be so explosive? I hoped you liked the story kiddie-winks! (Although I'm sure most of you are older than me... heheh.) Huh? What do you mean that can't be the end? Of course it is; Natsuki and Shizuru are dead, the Obsidian Lord won and there was a thousand-year war... Why are there a lot of guns, swords and various other weapons pointed in my direction?


	16. From the Flames

**From the Flames**

Author's Note: LOL! Sorry to those of you who actually thought that was the last chapter, but it was too good an opportunity to miss (I can be a bit of a sadist at times. *Evil smile.*). Would I really finish a story in such an unprofessional way with lots of incomplete sub-plots and loose ends? It will probably take me another twenty chapters to do and we're not even other the first arc yet! And I must confess (don't think to mean of me when I say this, as it is just my nature) that I laughed all the way through all the reviews: to those who were like "WTF? You're ending it here?! Please change your mind and continue!" to those who were more along the lines of "Update soon. ;3". Yep, this is a short chapter but I thought it would be better than posting an interlude thingy telling you that there was more to come and hopefully it will make up for my little prank. XD

**Disclaimer: Mai HiME is not mine so I am not licensed to kill off Shizuru or Natsuki, but I can blow things up so I can make it look like I have. ;D**

"Shizuru! SHIZURU!"

"Nao, you can't go in there!"

"But she's dead!" Nao cried as she scratched at the arms holding her back. Mikoto spun her around, gently grasping her underneath her chin with one hand as she held on tight to her waist with the other.

"If she's dead, then why aren't you?" she yelled, causing Nao to halt all attempts of escape as she blinked in confusion. It took her a few moments to apprehend that she was indeed physically fine, if not sick with worry, and if Shizuru had been burnt to a crisp in the explosion then she would have died instantly in the seat of the car.

"She's still alive…" she murmured before her eyes hardened. "Then I've got to go in there and get her!"

"Hey, calm down. We can't rush in there in a panic and get ourselves hurt. We don't even know if they're in there," Mikoto ordered as Nao once again tried twisting out of her grip. She was filled with dread at the thought of Natsuki being in the burning building, but never the less she resolved to keep her wits about her. The red head scoffed, causing her to frown.

"Panicking? I'm not panicking! I'm going in there – and she is in there, because that's the irritating sort of person she is – to drag her out and kick her ass for putting my life in danger!"

*****

It was very wet. It took Natsuki a few seconds to realize why as she had her lips pressed against Shizuru's. She cracked open an eye to see a blurry face and that water was surrounding them. No wonder she wasn't breathing; her instincts had automatically stopped her but thinking this caused her to draw in a sharp breath.

She snapped her head back from Shizuru's as she coughed and spluttered, which only allowed more water to cascade into her lungs. Then she was breathing in air and gulped it in like a dying man before it vanished. A hand caressing her cheek halted her frenzied gasping and she re-opened her clenched eyes.

Shizuru had created a large space around their heads in the sphere of water they were floating in and a gentle breeze stirred the surface, causing ripples to lap up against their shoulders. They were no longer on the floor and were instead they were upright in the enclosed space.

Natsuki's eyes were quickly drawn to the source of the warm glow illuminating the sphere and gasped when she saw the inferno they were slowly moving through the middle of. She had thought the loud exploding noise was her brain, but the fire that surrounded them showed that obviously wasn't the case.

"What happened?" she breathed, looking to Shizuru for an answer. The woman's face was slightly flushed, more likely from the kiss than the exertion of her powers, and her eyes mirrored the flames around them with the large shifting golden flecks invading the deep crimson, holding an expression of displeasure as she answered the question posed at her.

"While we were out someone planted a bomb. I would never have guessed it if Mashiro-san hadn't have said '_Hopefully_ I will see you tomorrow.' She is not the sort of person to press someone into attending an event and then make it sound like you have the option to change your mind unless she is expecting a calamity to befall on them. The way she said goodbye had a ring of finality too. I was trying to figure out what it meant when I realised that something seemed off when we had first walked in. It felt like someone else had been in the house but I just brushed it aside. That was a mistake on my part."

"Who is Mashiro-san?"

"The highly esteemed wife of the Obsidian Lord."

"So they're behind this?" Natsuki angrily accused. It didn't surprise her, but it did piss her off whenever someone tried to kill her, which seemed like the main objective for many of those alive today. Shizuru sighed and brushed back the wet fringe that was plastered to her forehead.

"Mashiro is undoubtedly apart of the scheme. But…"

"You don't think the Obsidian Lord is?"

"No matter how much of a threat I am, he is not the sort who revels in an indirect victory of major players in any game, especially when he wants to prove that he can defeat them. And he _is _my brother; we may not be close, but I don't believe he'd want to incinerate me alive," Shizuru calmly explained, although her voice sounded more hopeful than realistic by the end. Natsuki shook her head, unable to understand the sentiment as she had been brought up as an only child and the emergence of Alyssa had only served as a nightmarish threat to her existance. Then a thought came to her.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that we were about to go boom?"

"I had two options. The first was to tell you and try to make it closer to the exit before the bomb went off, which would have taken a short explanation and wasted precious seconds. The second was to kiss you and pull up this water shield around us. Option two was my obvious choice because if we were to perish, then at least I had the chance to taste your lips before we died."

A dark blush spread over Natsuki's face as she remembered the way the demon had kissed her and the words she had whispered before it. Shizuru loved her. She knew that she did when she found out they were soul mates and maybe even before that on some level, but hearing it was a different thing altogether.

The blush deepened when hesitant fingers reached up and gently brushed over her lips before settling on her cheek. When she didn't pull back Shizuru drifted closer to her, the questioning fiery eyes flickering over her face, sensing her uncertainty.

Natsuki was torn. She wanted so badly to lean forward and take those pink lips, but her mind was warning her against it. She knew that it was more than lust tugging her towards the heiress, but she couldn't admit that it was love even if it was and such treatment would be unfair on Shizuru if she regretted it once the heat of the moment was lost. But...

Her heart had tired of waiting for the brain to make a decision, so it took control of the situation. Natsuki caught herself reaching out and sliding her hands around Shizuru's waist, pulling her close to her body so they were barely a breath apart. The crimson eyes that had adopted a defeated expression changed to one of hopeful surprise and Natsuki could feel a drumming against her chest, although she was unsure whether it was Shizuru's heart or her own. She knew at that moment this was what she wanted.

Without another word she bridged the gap between them to place a chaste kiss on her lips for a long moment before pulling back. Shizuru had her eyes closed and her breathing was unsteady, making Natsuki smile at how cute and innocent she looked.

Before the tawny haired woman could open her eyes Natsuki was kissing her again, her lips so slow and deliberate that it made the demon's heart flutter from the tenderness of it. Shizuru's hands buried themselves in the blue tendrils of hair of their own accord and a gentle moan hummed from her throat. Eventually they had to pull away from lack of air and they rested their foreheads against each other, emerald locked onto lava as smiles spread on their faces.

The tranquil moment was ruined however as they both sprang away in alarm when a large piece of wood slammed on top of the sphere of water and bounced off again as charred flakes sprang up around it.

"Damn, I'm going to have grey hairs before we get out of this place," Natsuki muttered with irritation. "Can't we get this thing moving any faster Shizuru?"

"Ara, I apologize. I had intended to go at a faster pace from the start, but my Natsuki is terribly distracting…"

"Then quit flirting with me and hit the accelerator before I decide that it's safer to- aggghhhhhh!"

*****

Mikoto raised her arm to shield her face from the roaring flames, squinting as smoke and ash flew into her eyes. Every step she took brought her further into the heart of the burning building, once familiar surroundings unrecognisable as she searched for any slumped figures in the flickering orange light. Nao was in step beside her, but as she had never seen her before.

The red haired woman had changed into her spidery mutated form and was now half a foot taller than Mikoto. Her upper torso had kept her figure but had formed dark grey cuticle all over it and her lower half was that of a bulbous spider the same colour with long, relatively thin legs. Her face hadn't undergone much change with the exception that her left cheek up to her blood-hued hairline above her temple was covered in the same hard shell-like substance covering the rest of her body.

Mikoto found this other appearance slightly unsettling, not because she found it freakish as she knew what demons look like and frankly Nao was definitely one of the finer specimens she had seen, but by how different her presence was.

Nao always appeared to be someone who knew how to handle a tricky situation but needed that extra bit of security, someone who she could call on if it got a bit rougher than she had anticipated, but seeing her like this knew that wasn't the case. It was easy to see that the demon was physically very strong and after allowing some of Nao's magic enter her she was almost amazed that she didn't find out sooner; for a demon who wasn't of noble descent, she was quite powerful.

"Nao! Where do you think they would they be?" Mikoto shouted, trying not to breath in too much of the smoke. Nao shrugged and squinted as she looked through a door-way, seeing a large sphere thing floating about a foot off the floor. She gave an annoyed huff when she realised what it was and who was inside it, but relief swelled inside her.

"Get onto my back," the red head ordered the gawping Mikoto.

"What?"

"Hurry up and get on me, we don't have all day!" Nao snapped as the black haired woman's eyes drifted over the spidery body with a raised eye brow. Mikoto shook herself out of her daze and mounted her as carefully as she could, wrapping her arms around Nao's waist when she was seated. This was one way to ride her girlfriend that she had never thought of.

She held out her hands and a long strain of webbing flew out of the bottom of her palms, shooting through the sphere to attach to the two figures inside. Nao gave a sharp tug and the women flew out of the sphere into her waiting arms, the sphere soon crashing down onto the burning floor in disarray when its mistress withdrew her attention. A smirk spread on the spider demon's lips as she scuttled out of her former home, remembering how the 'bad-ass' Natsuki Kuga screamed like a little girl as she was vaulted across the room.

Once they were safely outside, she put her passengers down and shifted back to her human form. Mikoto hastily tugged her jacket off to cover her exposed girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her. Nao didn't know that anxiety had filled her until the agent had done this and felt it departing; she was worried that Mikoto wouldn't want to know her when she saw her demonic form.

Her gaze drifted to Shizuru and Natsuki who were talking quietly a short distance away from them; the blue haired woman was shooting her an occasional in the spider demon's direction, but other than that they seemed perfectly at ease. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the change in countenance on the hybrid's part but an understanding smile as Shizuru pulled her in for a hug and she returned it, even when the crimson eyed woman slyly put a kiss on her cheek, although she did go an amazing shade of red.

When they pulled away Natsuki walked over to them with a smirk on her face, the sides of her mouth tilted upwards a bit too much to give of the cool and confident look she was trying to achieve.

"It's time to put the fire out."


	17. Welcome to the Wolf Den

**Welcome to the Wolf Den**

Author's Note: I was planning on getting the second of mAdhoUsE up next, but I figured there would be threats against my person if I didn't get the next chapter up before I went away for Christmas. Amazingly enough the majority of this wasn't written at school, but at my home and on a bench that was about twenty metres away from the sea bashing against the rocks (thankfully I didn't get my laptop wet, LOL, but it was a really nice atmosphere to write in). This chapter was supposed to sort out the mess that is Shizuru' and Natsuki's relationship because they weren't supposed to have got to have got together quite yet (but I wanted them to make out in the water-sphere-thingy! *Pouts.*), but it's mainly fluff with a bit of background information; the next chapter is going to be a whole lot better when we meet Shizuru's family. Yay! XD

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my mind... at least I **_**hope**_** I own my mind... O_O;**

"So this is where my Natsuki lives," Shizuru stated in delight as the agent flicked on the light switch, only receiving a grunt in reply.

The lower floor of Natsuki's house was an open space that felt incredibly rustic; the dark wooden floors were covered in faux fur rugs of various shades and since there was no dividing walls the upper floor supported by strategically-placed wooden beams. The simple stairway in the centre of the space split the lower floor into two identifiable main areas; the kitchen/diner to the right and the lounge to the left.

The kitchen area's counters and cabinets were all made of elegantly carved solid oak with black work tops, forming an 'L' as they lined the walls. The round table opposite the kitchen area on the same side of the room was also made of oak, as was the case with all the wooden furniture as far as Shizuru could see, big enough to comfortably fit four people as the number of chairs reinforced the fact.

The lounge contained a large black couch that appeared to be the epitome of comfort and two matching chairs, all of which were covered in more faux fur. A television was fixed on the wall and a Playstation 3 was tucked neatly in a small alcove nearby. But the crowning glory was the large stone fireplace that wouldn't be out of place in the palace of a medieval king. The romantic in Shizuru became excited as she saw that it had signs of recent use and a full coal box beside it.

"It's beautiful. Did you design it yourself?" she spoke her appreciation after she had taken it all in, following her soul mate into the lounge area. Natsuki shook her head and collapsed onto one of the chairs, swinging her legs over one of the arms as she rested the two Durans onto the floor behind her.

After Shizuru had put out the fire by encasing the house in a brick of water (who had only done this by herself after Nao had scoffed at her request for 'assistance'. "Assistance? Like hell do you need assistance! I've seen what you can do and I know full well you can put out a volcano in a blink of an eye without exerting yourself, so go show off to your girlfriend and do it yourself!"), they had rummaged through the remains of the house in hopes of salvaging anything. The explosion had torn through everything and it seemed like nothing could have escaped undamaged, but Natsuki had given a sigh of relief when she had found both of her swords unscathed.

Unfortunately, this meant that very little of Shizuru' and Nao's belongings survived, or any of the luggage Natsuki had brought with her. Luckily, they had kept their most precious valuables inside a safe within the house and at their other lodgings in Hell. Natsuki noticed that Shizuru had quickly shoved some rolled up pieces of A4 sheets of paper into a spare bag she had kept in her car, but had simply shrugged it off to title deeds for properties such as the restaurant they had visited earlier in the week. Nao had returned to Mikoto's while Shizuru would be staying with Natsuki until she went to Hell.

"As you've probably read on my file, this was my grandfather's place. He was a great carpenter and had an eye for interior design, so that every project he walked away from made you think that it was done by one of those over-hyped TV professionals. I even envied those pieces of wood sometimes." Natsuki grumbled with a small chuckle as she stretched out, granting Shizuru a view of her toned stomach when her t-shirt lifted up.

Shizuru's eyebrows lowered into a slight frown as she vaguely remembered the old man mentioned on her profile. She recalled that Saeko's father had died of liver failure due to alcohol abuse when Natsuki was nineteen and had left everything to his grand-daughter.

"He didn't take care of you properly?" Shizuru questioned, anger filtering through her voice. Natsuki raised her eyebrows as she regarded the demon before combing her fingers through her hair in thought.

"Well yeah, he did; I never went without food or clean clothes or anything like that. He'd even buy me a motorbike magazine from time to time, even though he gave me a decent amount of pocket money weekly, so I had it pretty good really… But I never really got to know my grandfather very well considering he was my sole carer. When I first came to live with him, he'd drop me off at a neighbour's house while he went to work on a job – he had retired but he still did the occasional project for fun and a little extra income – and when I was older he just left me at home. When he was at home he'd be in his garage with his tools, although I was never exactly sure what he did in there. The only times we were together were at meal times and public holidays, but we never spoke much and there was always an underlying tension between us. I used to think..." Natsuki placed a grim smile on her face. "I used to think he blamed me for the death of my mother."

"Ara? But Natsu-!"

"I know what you're going to say Shizuru, but that's how I felt back then... Damn it, I sometimes wonder about that now! Why did I survive when she died? It's not fair," Natsuki countered as she poked at a hole in the leg of her jeans.

Shizuru felt a tug at her heart-strings as she heard the ill-disguised crack in Natsuki's voice. Without thinking she was on her knees at Natsuki's side, gazing into surprised green eyes as one hand cupped her cheek and stroked the soft flesh underneath her thumb.

"You're alive because you are meant to be. For all that I know of you and your past I don't know who attacked you or why, as I suspect the only people who know of your lineage besides me is those behind your mother's murder, but I wish that I did as I would make them pay for the pain that they caused you. But promise me that you'll never wish that you had taken her place or had died with her... I don't think I could ever live without you again," Shizuru's fervent voice softened as she leant forward to rest her head on the hybrid's stomach, her hand slipping from her cheek to wrap around her body. "Even if you could never truly love me, please let me be at your side forever."

"Shizuru..." Natsuki breathed as she ran her fingers through the waves of silky hair, unsure of what she should say. She couldn't reassure Shizuru that she did love her as she wasn't entirely clear on that herself, but she found she couldn't reject the emotion that was radiating from the woman on her torso. Finally she settled for a weak "Okay."

"Okay?" Insecure crimson eyes peeked up at her from under long eyelashes.

"Yeah... I'm not going to push you away. We're..." Dark eyebrows crumpled into a perplexed frown. "What are we?"

"Soul mates."

"Soul mates," Natsuki confirmed with a nod of her head, although that wasn't really what she was searching for. What she wanted to know was what stage of their relationship they were in, but she then realized the only person who could answer that was herself, since it was clear Shizuru wanted a relationship so it left the deciding factor to her, and she couldn't do that until she knew what exactly it was she was feeling. Perhaps it was best to just call Shizuru her soul mate since it was unfair to give Shizuru hope as much as it was to dash them completely.

"Thank you," Shizuru said after a small silence, tightening her grip on her slightly as she buried her face into the soft flesh. They stayed like that for a while as Natsuki stroked Shizuru's hair until the demon began shifting in discomfort. Natsuki soon noticed and the serene expression she wore turned into one of concern.

"You shouldn't be kneeling on the hard floor like that."

"I'm fine," came the muffled response as Shizuru buried her head deeper into her human pillow. She liked being with Natsuki like this even if it was painful for her knees and she could think of nowhere else she would rather be... unless she was in bed with Natsuki... with her head in between-.

"No you're not, you're uncomfortable... Why are you drooling on me?"

Shizuru pulled back and wiped her chin as a small blush formed on her cheeks. Natsuki watched with fascination and wondered what Shizuru was thinking about, but it didn't take her long to decide she would probably be better off not knowing. When she saw that Shizuru wasn't going to move off the floor she rolled her eyes and patted her lap.

"Come on then, get on the chair with me."

"Pardon?" Shizuru asked in shock, glancing at where Natsuki's hands were resting on her lap.

"Fine, if you want to go sit on the couch..."

As soon as she had finished sentence Shizuru pounced on her. The demon lay across her soul mate, snuggling her face into the crook of her neck as she curled her legs around Natsuki's. Very soon the blue haired woman was wearing a blush from the proximity, causing Shizuru to giggle as she ran a finger down her pink-tinted cheek.

"Natsuki is so cute when she blushes," the tawny haired woman gushed, causing the pink to turn closer to red.

"I am not cute!"

"I whole-heartedly disagree."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Aww~! My Natsuki is so cute she puts a puppy to shame!"

"Keep this up Shizuru, and we'll see who ends up in the doghouse."

Shizuru eyes widened innocently and her bottom lip trembled, giving Natsuki the most heart-breaking expression that one could possibly hope to imagine. The blue haired woman wisely turned her head to the side in order to break their eye contact and somehow managed to keep the demon out of her eye sight when Shizuru began to whimper. Her eyes widened in astonishment however when the demon shifted herself upwards and a warm tongue slowly ran up the side of her face, curling from the flat to the very tip as it travelled from her jaw line to her cheek bone.

For Shizuru it was almost too much to take. Being on top of Natsuki like she was with the combined taste and smell was like she was being slowly driven into madness. Sweet and wonderful madness. Natsuki could feel the shivers rolling from Shizuru's body into hers and sought for a way to distract the heiress after the agent realised she enjoyed the sensations provoked by it.

"Hey, can I ask you something? Why don't your eyes go totally gold when you use your demonic energy?" This was a good question to ask as it distracted Shizuru from the over-whelming sensations she was feeling and Natsuki was truly interested in the answer. Shizuru shifted slightly so she could go into her classic thinking position, giving Natsuki a chance to swipe the saliva off her cheek.

"I assume that you know that demons' eyes go gold because they are controlling all of the energy within them, even if they are using a small amount." Natsuki nodded. "However, that process is slightly different for me, as I only control the amount that I am using at that time."

"But why is that?"

"I'm too powerful to control all of it. If I tried then I'm likely to explode and destroy whatever planet I'm on."

"What?" Natsuki questioned as she gave a disbelieving stare. After a few seconds she realized that Shizuru was being serious. "Explode. As in getting blown to bits with a very large bang and taking everyone else with you."

"Yes, that rather sums it up nicely."

"_Nicely?_ There isn't anything _nice_ about it!" the blue haired woman exclaimed, shaking her head at the absurdity of the conversation. Shizuru's eyes shone with mirth as she gazed affectionately at the woman beneath her.

"Ara, ara, calm down. I haven't lost control of myself yet and it's extremely hard to do so. The only time my eyes have ever turned to gold was when I was three years old."

"What happened?"

"Although I am unsure of the cause, I threw a temper tantrum – ara, don't look at me like that, I was only a young child at the time – and I..." Shizuru bit her lip. "Let's just say there's a very large hole in the ground right outside the capital city of Sheol."

"Outside the city? I don't suppose that's too bad then."

"Outside the city _now_ that is; I'd managed to destroy half of the market district. Miraculously nobody died from it, although I have been told that several people were permanently crippled in some way," the tawny haired woman whispered with a grimace, her usually joyful eyes sombre with pained regret. Natsuki recognised the look and pulled her into a comforting embrace, surprising Shizuru although she soon had her head resting on the agent's shoulder.

"Hey, you were only young. Don't be so hard on yourself about it," her soul mate said in a soothing tone.

Shizuru didn't say anything; she could still remember the carnage she had caused and the cries of pain. She wasn't even sure if anyone had actually died; her father had repeatedly reassured her that she hadn't killed anyone, but that could have been to save her from anymore trauma of her actions as the chances that everyone escaped with their lives remained highly unlikely. Even so she allowed herself to believe what her father had told her, because if there was any cowardliness in Shizuru it would be related to that incident.

They remained like that for a while, enjoying the comfortable silence between them. Natsuki trailed her fingertips over Shizuru's back as the demon relaxed underneath her touch, shivering occasionally when the feather-like touch unknowingly ventured into a more sensitive area. The rhythm suddenly slowed however and Shizuru looked upwards to see the other woman's head slowly fall back as emerald eyes were hidden behind closed lids.

"Na-tsu-ki," she whispered, causing the head to jolt and eyes to snap open wide. They stared at Shizuru in confusion for a few seconds before they flooded with embarrassment at being caught falling asleep, her cheeks becoming pink in agreement. Shizuru chuckled and kissed one of those aforementioned cheeks.

"I think it's time to go to bed."

"Y-Yeah," Natsuki stuttered as her cheeks went even redder. She had noticed this was becoming a common pattern since she had met the heiress. "You can have my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, you're going to share with me because I'm not going to kick my Natsuki out of her own bed (Author's Note: or any other bed, eh Shizuru? ;D)," Shizuru countered before she raised an eyebrow as a thought hit her. "I thought you had lived here with your grandfather. Shouldn't you have a spare room?"

"I turned his room into an office after he died and I don't have any other guest rooms. It's never been a problem before since people hardly come here and they never stay for the night," Natsuki explained. "And don't worry about me because I'm fine with sleeping on the couch."

"But maybe I want to snuggle up with my Natsuki during the night. What do I do if I have nightmares?" Shizuru stated with a pout, unknowingly reminding the agent of her own nightmares. They seemed to go away when she's with Shizuru, which caused her to actually consider it. One look at the demon's face and she found herself agreeing; that face would make the most stubborn being in existence falter, so it was only natural that someone undecided would bend to the heiress's wishes. Who knows, it might actually be nice to sleep beside Shizuru... as long as wasn't being molested all night.

"Fine, but keep those hands of yours to yourself!"

"Ara, ara, that's no fun..."

"I mean it!"

* * * * *

Natsuki's room was different to the rest of the house, which had warm and rustic tones, by the more icy and mechanical colouring. The main shades on the walls were various blues as the large windows were framed by silver curtains that matched the rest of the furniture of the room, not including the ebony wooden closet. The silver-framed double bed faced the doorway adjacent to the windows and was decorated in black sheets, matching the thick black carpet lying below it.

Shizuru was going through Natsuki's wardrobe as the blue haired woman sat on the bed, already changed from her original clothing to an over-sized t-shirt and men's boxers. While the agent had been changing in the bathroom, the heiress had remembered that she needed something to wear for when they went to her mother's house in the morning since most of her clothes were now ashes. Natsuki had graciously offered that the demon could borrow some of her clothes after Shizuru had entered the bathroom to complain about this and had caught her a second after her top had hit the floor.

Natsuki was grateful that she had yet to remove her bra and that her nearest neighbour was a few miles away since the scream she gave could have easily been made by a murder victim, but even so her eye twitched at every sly glance Shizuru gave her accompanied by that damnable smirk.

"It's not that big a deal," she grumbled after what must be hundredth time. "Lots of people have tattoos."

"Indeed... I just wasn't aware that you were a Kannazuki no Miko fan," Shizuru drawled as she paused in her searching. Natsuki snorted.

"Who says I am?"

"Why else would you have the Chikane's lunar symbol on your back?"

"It makes a cool tattoo. It's not like I had it done in the same place," the agent huffed as she folded her arms over her chest, omitting the fact that she had thought about placing it near the base of her neck before deciding to have it done on her lower back.

"So you have watched it. Would I find the manga if I looked in that bookcase in your office?" Shizuru teased, invoking the other woman to give a deep blush as a positive reply. She had noticed the office was more like a play room as the computer monitor on the large desk was attached to an XBOX 360 as well as the computer tower, while the lone bookcase housed only manga and fictional stories.

She grinned but said nothing else when Natsuki didn't bother to argue back. Instead she continued shuffling through the clothes rail as a thump and a muffled growl came from behind her. She wasn't bothered to find that her soul mate had chosen to get a tattoo; in fact she found it quite sexy.

A couple of minutes later she found a two in one blouse jumper (thingy). Without any concern for the woman behind her she whipped off her top and tried it on, fixing a seductive look on her face as she admired herself in a nearby mirror. The grey wool stretched to accommodate her bigger breasts, which none of Natsuki's normal shirts would have done, while the stark white collar and sleeves gave her a professional look. It was going to shock her family when they turned up tomorrow; not only was she alive and bringing her soul mate, but she wasn't going to be wearing a kimono. At least if she looked smart she might save one or two relatives from a heart attack.

She turned her attention back to the wardrobe and noticed a pair of black leather trousers. Her mouth went dry as she remembered how hot Natsuki looked in them and made a mental note to _persuade _Natsuki to wear them in the morning. Beside the trousers was a pair of grey slacks that matched the top she was currently wearing. A quick change later and Shizuru was happy with her appearance, but she still asked Natsuki for her opinion.

When she received no reply she turned around to see that the woman was asleep, sprawled out across the width of the bed as her chest rhythmically rose and fell. A gentle smile graced her lips at the sight; she had wondered why the hybrid had been so quiet when she was changing, but she had put that down to stunned silence.

She stripped out of her clothes to put on the pyjama bottoms and vest top she'd been given, not caring for privacy since Natsuki was asleep and finding the prospect of her waking up while changing humorous, not that she was naturally modest either way. Once she was done she tugged back the quilt cover and gently manoeuvred the agent into bed, switching the light off before slipping in beside her to lie on her side.

Shizuru managed to lie there for a full minute inching closer until her breath hit the pale skin she was admiring. Slowly she raised her hand and slipped it over the toned abdomen until she was nearly embracing the cobalt-haired woman. A hand grabbed her wrist and she found a pair of emerald eyes watching her.

"What did I say about hands?"

"To keep them to myself."

"So what are you doing?"

"I want to cuddle you."

The straight forward answer took Natsuki aback as she was expecting one of the usual quips Shizuru was so fond of. After a brief moment she rolled her eyes and turned on her side, draping the arm over her stomach before weaving her fingers in between Shizuru's. The tawny haired woman blinked in surprise before a warm giddy feeling overtook her and she spooned against her soul mate, burying her nose into her hair. They fell asleep like this, both wearing content smiles on their faces.

* * * * *

"I have it Miyu," Alyssa stated as a satisfied smile played on her face, the glow from the laptop making her skin appear a ghostly white. "It was hard work hacking into the S.E.D. database, but I have it."

Miyu nodded from where she was sat upright on the bed, putting down the ramen that she did not have the appetite to eat. She had almost fully recovered from her injuries and it would only be a few more hours before she could be considered of a perfect bill of health, although her abdomen would always be a weak point for her.

"When do we proceed?" the angel asked in her neutral tone, careful to keep all hints of defeat out of her voice. If fate was to play its hand and stop what they were doing then a part of her would be thankful, but she would be loyal to Alyssa and do whatever it took to protect her, even if that meant going against her own judgement.

"When they are least expecting it, of course," the blonde replied as she got out of the chair she was sitting on and walking seductively to where Miyu sat. Alyssa cupped her face and began to kiss her softly, the action so gentle that Miyu almost believed that she had regained her sanity. But the baby blue eyes were still glazed over with madness when she pulled away and she scolded herself for hoping that things could return to how they used to be.

Alyssa giggled and removed her top, dumping it on the floor as she crawled on top of her lover and initiated another kiss. It was gentle like the one before at first, but steadily grew rougher until Miyu felt a sharp pain and tasted the tang of blood. She jerked backwards, raising her hand to the bottom lip that had just been bitten. Her eyes met Alyssa's once more and it stunned her to see that the hybrid was smiling until she realised that her soul mate wasn't really seeing her at all.

"It's perfect," Alyssa breathed. "Just perfect."

On the screen of the laptop was the S.E.D. agent database with all the details one could possibly wish to know about one Akira Okuzaki.


End file.
